The Book of Fire
by UltimateBender77
Summary: After Season 2. When Aang and friends escape to a village on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, they meet up with an unexpected ally. Friendship will form, love will blossom, and villainy will be redeemed. Kataang, Sukka, Tylokka, Maiko, Smellershot
1. Escape from Ba Sing Se

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, but if I did, that would be cool

This is my first fan fic, so go easy on me. I may have unnoticingly copied someone else's work, so if I did, point it out in a review and I will change it. R&R!

Chapter 1: Escape from Ba Sing Se

"I… I can't believe it," said Aang while steering Appa. He felt sick to his stomache. He always believed Ba Sing Se to be untouchable. Now the Earth Kingdom had fallen, and Aang could not do anything about it.

"Now the Water Tribe is the only thing keeping the Fire Nation from victory," said Sokka. For anyone who knew him, Sokka was easily identifiable by his witty and sarcastic attitude. Now, a sense of depression and hopelessness were the only things which could be found in his voice.

"I failed everyone," said the Earth King. "I failed you, the Council of Five, and I failed the entire Earth Kingdom. If only I could have ruled better. Maybe the Earth Kingdom would still be standing."

"You can't blame yourself, your Majesty," said Aang.

"Don't call me that anymore." the Earth King demanded bitterly as he stroked the soft fur of his pet bear, Bosco. "I don't deserve that title. You can just call me Kuei."

"Anyway, you had no way of knowing what was going on. Long Feng made sure of that." Aang's stated sharply.

""What about Iroh? We can't just leave him behind," Toph said worriedly. "We have to keep moving, Toph," Katara said softly. "If we go back, we will be caught, and Aang will not be able to save the world."

"I just wish there was something we could do." said Toph.

"Anyway, we have to focus on finding a place to stay for the night." said Katara. She then looked over to Toph as she began to speak.

"Last time I was here, I remember stopping in to a village of refugees just before entering the walls of Ba Sing Se."

"Then it shouldn't be too far off," said Katara. "Toph, would you be able to point it out on the map of the area?"

"No," Toph responded flatly.

"Oh right. Sorry," Katara said, remembering that Toph was blind. While this conversation had been held, Sokka had been staring blankly to the ground. He was the landscape quickly whip by, when suddenly he saw a large battle on the ground taking place.

"Hey guys! There's a battle down there!" he said.

"Alright Appa! Land by the battlefield!" Aang said as he pulled on Appa's reigns. The massive bison immediately began descending onto an open beach where a group of earthbenders were fighting a division of Fire Navy soldiers.

As Appa neared the ground, everyone except Toph and Kuei immediately recognized an old man with green robes, a hunched back, and a ram horn crown.

"Nice to see you, Bumi," said Aang as he stepped off of Appa and assumed a fighting stance. "Need some help?"

"Aang! I'm glad you're okay," said the King of Omashu. "And now that you mention it, I could use a speck of help at the moment." After saying this Katara, Sokka, and Toph all followed suit and assumed fighting position.

The first to attack was a fire navy soldier who began rushing towards Toph. When he was close enough, the blind earthbender lifted the ground below him sending him flying through the air and crashing down onto three of his allies. Next, a firebender shot a blast at Katara, who dodged the blast took out her water skin, and shot a powerful water whip back at him, causing him to be knocked off to the side. With the combined power of the Avatar team and Bumi's army, the division was easily defeated in minutes flat. Aang finished them off by hitting the ground with his staff, sending an air blast and sending them flying into the ocean.

"Well, now that that's over with, why are you here Bumi?" Aang asked.

"Hold up just one minute Aang. Who is that sitting on your bison?" Bumi asked, pointing his crooked finger at Kuei. "Is that the Earth King?"

"The _ex_-Earth King," Kuei corrected.

"It is an honor to truly meet you, your majesty," said Bumi

"Your _ex_-majesty," Kuei corrected once more. "And it is an honor to meet you as well. I didn't know there were other kings besides me."

"Um, excuse me Bumi, but could we get back to my question please?"

"I see your impatience hasn't lessened in the last hundred years. Anyway, after me and my army fought off the Fire Nation in Omashu, word spread to me about the fall of Ba Sing Se," said Bumi. "So naturally I decided to come here and help reclaim the Earth Kingdom.

"On the way to Ba Sing Se, we found a mining village that was under the control of the Fire Nation. Once we helped regain their village, a young man requested to join our army. After this, we continued our journey to Ba Sing Se, and here we are. Oh by the way, the young man I mentioned, he says he knows you."

After this was said, a boy with long brown hair, a head band, and green shaded clothing.

"Haru!" said Katara, running over to her old acquaintance and wrapping him in a friendly hug.

"Katara! It's so good to see you!" said Haru breaking away from Katara's embrace.

"How's it going, Haru?" Aang questioned.

"Pretty good," responded Haru. "Once we finished the battle, my dad came back home to stay with Mom and me. It was a shame that I couldn't be with him longer, but I had a duty to protect my nation."

"Aw, that is so touching," said Sokka sarcastically. "Moving on. Does anyone know a village nearby?"

"Well, on the way here, we saw a small village of refugees called Wei Xiao Se" said Bumi

"That's the one we're looking for," Katara said.

"All right everybody. Would anyone be willing to escort Aang and his friends to Wei Xiao Se?" Bumi said. Haru separated him from the crowd and moved himself to the front.

"I would be honored to escort the Avatar, your majesty" Haru said, bowing respectfully.

"Then it's settled. Haru will escort the Avatar while my crew and I go get lunch," the eccentric king said, drawing a stare from everyone around. Noticing everyone's eyes on him, he said, "What? You can't take back an entire kingdom on an empty stomach."

"I know!" Sokka agreed. "Like the last time we tried that, we-" he was cut short by a sharp jab in the shoulder by Toph.

"What was that for?" he asked angrily while rubbing his shoulder.

"For being stupid," Toph said calmly. Aang bade farewell to his old friend, and followed Haru on a journey to Wei Xiao Se, along with Katara, Sokka, Toph, Kuei, Appa, Momo, and Bosco. The travel to the refugee village was nothing to interesting. It basically included discussion of the war, the Battle in the Crystal Catacombs in Ba Sing Se, and Sokka's perpetual hunger. After a few hours, the Avatar Team finally made it to Wei Xiao Se.

"It is time for me to go back to King Bumi and help regain Ba Sing Se." Haru said, a sad tone in his voice.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again." Said Katara

"Good Bye Katara," Haru said, giving Katara one last farewell embrace.

"Bye Haru," said Katara.

"Good bye everyone" Haru said, giving one final wave before turning around and walking back in the direction of Ba Sing Se.

"Okay, our first order of business is to find a place to stay for a while," Katara said, knowing full well Sokka would disagree.

"But we haven't eaten in hours. I think we should eat first." Said Sokka.

"Okay then. All those who agree with me raise your hand." Katara said, causing Aang, Toph, and Kuei to all raise their hands. Seeing the unanimous vote, Sokka crossed his arms sat on the ground and began to sulk. The group searched for a place to stay for about an hour, until they found what they were looking for.

"Help Wanted for help around the house, both minor and major," Aang read off of a sign on the front lawn of a house. "In exchange, a salary of 2 gold pieces will be given per day, along with free housing and feeding."

"That sounds perfect!" Katara exclaimed.

"I know! There's gonna be free food!" said Sokka, drawing looks from the group. He quickly rang the doorbell, overeager for the food. The door swung open, and an aged, stout woman answered the door.

"Hello?" the old lady said.

"Excuse me ma'am." Katara said. "We saw your sign, and we were wondering if we could take the job."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the old lady said. "I guess I must have forgotten to take the sign down. I already gave away the job earlier today." Almost on queue, a young man with brown, messy hair and a large scar on the right side of his face.

"No… it can't be," said Toph in a shocked tone, feeling the vibrations of the young man and immediately recognizing him. Then Aang shouted loudly in shock and fear.

"Zuko!"


	2. Betrayal

Chapter 2: Betrayal 

_What have I done? Did I truly make the right choice? _This question had been haunting and tormenting Zuko ever since he betrayed his uncle. _No. It was uncle betrayed you._ This was what Azula had told him. Zuko still couldn't be sure. Uncle Iroh stood by Zuko when no one else did. He was the only one who cared about him. He was the only one who loved him. And Zuko betrayed him. Zuko's thoughts were shortly interrupted when a Dai Li agent walked in the door.

"Prince Zuko. Princess Azula has requested your presence in the Great Hall," he said.

"Tell the princess I will be with her shortly," Zuko replied. With that, the Dai Li agent walked out of the room, leaving Zuko standing alone in the Earth King's bedroom. Zuko stepped over to the mirror and looked at himself. He was dressed in royal Fire Nation clothing, with his topknot back in place and a crown on top of his head. _Is this really my destiny?_ Zuko wondered this to himself. Without uttering a world, he walked out of the room and made his way to the Great Hall.

"Good evening, Prince Zuko" Azula said to her brother as he walked into the hall. Her companions, Ty Lee and Mai, accompanied her.

"Zuko! It's so good to see you!" Ty Lee shouted, running over to Zuko and wrapping with one of her strong, inescapable hugs.

"Hello, Ty Lee," Zuko said while struggling to get out of her grasp. When he finally managed to escape, Mai walked over to greet him.

"Nice to see you Zuko. It's been a while," she said shyly. Ty Lee gave her a strange look. She was never shy like that.

"Three years," Zuko said half-bitterly. "Good to see you to Mai,"

"This is all so sweet," said Azula, causing all three of them to turn in Azula's direction. "But this cute little reunion is not why I called you here. Zuko, I was hoping you could escort our traitor of an uncle to his prison cell," Azula had a devilish twinkle in her eye. After hesitation, Zuko finally answered.

"I'll do it," he said

"Very well," said Azula. "He's waiting in the hallway with some guards." Zuko turned and walked the other way. Halfway to the end of the Great Hall, Azula shouted out to.

"Of course, Dai Li agents will follow you to make sure you are safe."

"What, You don't trust me?" Zuko said smirking. Azula didn't even respond to his question a subtle look of fury in her golden eyes. Zuko walked the rest of the hall and out to find two Dai Li agents and his uncle.

Iroh refused to look at his nephew. Suddenly, Zuko felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Whether it was shame, disgust, or a combination of both, he did not know. Nevertheless, he silently signaled the guards to start moving. When he reached the prison cells, he realized that all the cells were full.

"Um, excuse me Prince Zuko," a Dai Li agent said.

"What is it?" asked Zuko.

"Azula said that if all of the cells were full, you should take the Kyoshi warrior out and put your uncle in."

"Very well," said Zuko. "Open the cell." As they were told, the guards opened the cell and pulled out a warrior from the cell. She was dressed in a green robe, and wearing white makeup with red streaks by her eyes.

"What's going on?" Suki demanded. Her question was ignored, and she was practically dragged through the hallways, struggling all the way.

"I see the cells were full," Azula said, "At least you managed to get the job done. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk with Ty Lee and Mai for a minute. I would like you to guard this prisoner" The three young women walked back out into the hallway, leaving Zuko alone with the chained warrior. Zuko sat down on the Earth King's throne and began to sort out his feelings. After a short while, the prince began feeling drowsy, and soon enough he slipped in to a deep sleep.

"What is it Azula?" Questioned Ty Lee as they made it into the hallway. "And why can't Zuko hear it?"

"Well, we needed someone to watch that warrior peasant while we planned," Azula responded.

"Planned what?" Mai asked.

"What do with the warrior girl," Azula said cold-heartedly. "I plan to kill her."

"What!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "Isn't that sorta harsh?"

"You have a complaint?" Azula questioned harshly, sending a chill down Ty Lee's spine.

"Um, No," Ty Lee stammered. "It's just that she put up a really good fight and she didn't really do anything too bad."

"For Once, Ty Lee, you're actually right," Azula said lifting Ty Lee's spirits a bit. "She was a worthy fighter. She deserves a real execution ceremony." Ty Lee smile melted. Azula had completely ignored the last thing she said!

"I'll schedule it for two weeks from now," Azula said. "Thanks for the idea, Ty Lee." She began to walk in to the Great Hall, when she turned around to talk "Oh, by the way, make sure no one tries to rescue the warrior peasant. I'd feel sorry for anyone who would betray me."

"_You have done well, Fire Lord Zuko," an icy blue dragon hissed as it circling him menacingly. Suddenly he saw the lifeless body of another dragon lying on the ground, this one vivid red. He suddenly saw a woman rush over and hold the body of the red dragon."_

"_Mother!" the Fire Lord shouted._

"_Why Zuko? I loved you. How could you do this?" Then the dragon and the woman began to fade away._

"_Do not listen to her, Fire Lord Zuko," the dragon hissed again as it circled dangerously close to Zuko. "You have chosen your destiny." The dragon drew back in front of the Fire Lord, showing its soulless golden eyes. Then it snapped in the direction of Zuko and struck._

"_AAAHHH!!!"_

He bolted up in the throne to be greeted by the angry face of his sister.

"Zuzu. Have you fallen asleep?" Azula said, concealing her fury. "Did I not specifically tell you to watch the prisoner?"

"Don't talk to me like that!" Zuko shouted. "I'm just as much head of this kingdom as you are!" Following this, Azula called the Dai Li to her.

"I don't think so, Zuzu," Azula said. "Now, why don't you go back to your room. I have no use for you at the moment." Zuko angrily walked away and headed back to his room. "Mai. Ty Lee. I would like you to head back to your rooms as well. And bring the warrior back to her cell. There's room for two." The two girls followed Zuko and left the Great Hall. However when they exited, Mai stopped dead in her tracks and pulled Ty Lee to the wall to listen to what Azula was saying.

"Guards. Fetch Long Feng for me." Azula commanded.

"As you wish, my princess." The guard responded, and left to find him. Shortly after a middle-aged man in long green robes entered the room.

"What do you wish, Princess?" Long Feng asked, bowing down before her.

"Zuko is a threat to our power." Said Azula "His incompetence will be my demise. I want him dead."

"But Azula," Long Feng said. "I thought you said you would spare his life after seeing his abilities in the Catacombs."

"Things have changed," Azula said sharply. "Now, if you value your own life, I suggest you see to his demise. But for now, you are dismissed."

The guard turned to leave, and began walking when Azula spoke up.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Keep an eye on Ty Lee and Mai. They seem to be losing loyalty for me. They might need the Prince Zuko treatment as well."

"Very Well, Princess," said Long Feng as he proceeded to walk out the door, not seeing the traumatized faces of Ty Lee and Mai.

Later that night, Ty Lee was frantic, while Mai was broken up on the inside. They did not know what to do. They have been with Azula for years; however, they also could not believe what she was willing to do to her own brother.

"I-I can't believe it," Ty Lee said, pacing across the floor. "All this time with her. We were her best friends. Now she would be willing to kill us if necessary. I should have known after what she did at the circus." Ty Lee then proceeded to tell Mai about what Azula did to convince her to join her team. "The truth is, the whole reason I escaped to the circus in the first place, was to get away from Azula.

"And what about Zuko! She is going to have her own brother murdered! Azula is a cold-hearted, vicious, evil, witch. We can't just keep ignoring it. Azula must go down!" She gazed down at Mai, waiting for her response.

"Finally, you understand the situation," Mai said solemnly.

_Zuko was injured. Everything around was utter chaos chaos. He saw the corpses of the Avatar's friends. A wounded Ty Lee was spurting blood. Worst of all, he could see Mai, lying on the ground, unloving, the only thing in the area still standing was a throne, on top of which was Fire Lady Azula. Zuko wanted to die. He wished he had never been born at all. Out of the ashes rose a boy with arrow tattoos. The avatar then sighed in shame and spoke._

"_This is all your fault."_

Zuko's eyes shot open, sweat dripping from his brow. _Thank God it was just a dream. _He suddenly heard a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" Zuko yelled. The door swung open, revealing Mai and Ty Lee.

"What do you-" Zuko said, until he was cut short by Mai.

"Zuko, you have to get out of here!" Mai exclaimed as quietly as possible. "Azula is going to have you killed!"

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked.

"Azula knows you're the Blue Spirit." Ty Lee said. Zuko's eyes widened.

"But what about Uncle?" questioned Zuko.

"We will rescue him," Mai said. "Then we will join up with you on your escape."

"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Zuko angrily. Suddenly Mai pulled Zuko into her arms and kissed him on the mouth.

"So, do you trust us?" Mai asked in a tone completely unlike her. It was a tone of compassion, emotion, and love.

"Okay, I trust you." Zuko said smirking, trying to conceal his smile. He had just been kissed. He had just been kissed by Mai.

"Well Zuko should be going, don't you think Mai?" Ty Lee said.

"Yeah. Probably," Mai said sadly. "Good Luck, Zuko."

"Thank you. Oh, and be safe." Zuko said. Unable to hold themselves any longer, they flung themselves into each other's arms and pressed their bodies together for one last passionate kiss. Whether it lasted minutes, hours, or days, Zuko may never know. One thing was for sure though. Zuko's life had changed forever.


	3. The Freedom Fighters

A/N: Whew! Finally Done! Took me long enough. I didn't have much time to work on it. Anyway, thanx for the reviews! This chapter took a lot of time and revision, so I hope you like it.

Chapter 3: The Freedom Fighters

"Zuko!" this was one of last people Aang wanted to see. He was evil and there was nothing more to it. Aang immediately stood in fighting position, and Katara, Sokka, and Toph following suit. In his anger, Zuko shot a fire blast right at Aang, who barely managed to avoid the blaze, though his robe was slightly singed. Suddenly, Zuko broke his stance, a solemn look on his face.

"What's the point?" he asked himself. "It's not even going to help. My fate is sealed."

"What are you talking about?" Sokka interrogated.

"Azula," Zuko said. "She tried to murder me."

"Yeah, Sure!" Katara said unconvinced. "That whole 'you changed' thing must have been part of your plan. You're a monster! You tried to kill the Avatar!"

"The Earth Kingdom is gone because of you!" Kuei said. "If it weren't for you and your wretched sister, I would still be sitting on my throne, maintaining peace."

"You turned in your own uncle," Said Toph. "He stood up for you, and you betrayed him. You should be ashamed!"

"I know," Zuko injected, bitter tears welling up in his eyes. "I turned on the people who truly cared about me, I fought for the wrong side, and I ended up losing everything. I deserve everything that is happening to me."

* * *

"Find that traitor and destroy him!" Azula commanded to Long Feng, who was sitting atop a komodo rhino. "Interrogate everyone in the city. If someone doesn't cooperate, kill them. Zuko must not get away this time."

"As you wish, my lady," he responded. he whipped his komodo rhino, and it instantly began running forward, leaving the castle grounds. Screams could be heard as the rhino rampaged through Ba Sing Se, as the Dai Li harassed, interrogated, and slaughtered innocent people. While every other citizen was frantic trying to leave the city, two teenagers, one female and one male, stayed hidden inside a dark building.

The female was a tomboy with light armor, short hair, and warrior's markings on her face. The male was a silent type with a pale face, a bag filled with arrows on his back, and a straw hat. Tears began to well up in the girl's eyes and roll down her cheeks. Reacting quickly, the young man covered her mouth with his hand, caressing her shoulder with the other hand. After several long minutes of checking his surroundings, Long Feng moved on.

"How could this happen, Longshot?" the girl said between sobs. "Jet's dead. The Earth Kingdom is defeated. The Fire Nation has won." She suddenly erupted into tears, sobbing into Longshot's shoulder. He then put his a finger over her mouth to quiet the girl.

"Smellerbee, It going to be okay," he said. This was unusual for him. He barely ever spoke.

"Thanks Longshot," Smellerbee said weakly. "It's just… It's so hard to be all alone in the world."

"You will never be alone," Longshot said, a faint grin on his face. Smellerbee couldn't help but grin in return. They leaned in and came into a soft embrace.

* * *

"Seriously. Azula really tried to kill you?" Sokka asked

"Yeah," Zuko replied. After much hesitation, Aang came up with a conclusion.

"Well, you could travel with us if you want," he said. "As long as you agree to teach me firebending."

"Why would I do that?" Zuko asked his temper rising. He did not want any sympathy, especially from the avatar. "What good does it do me?"

"Well last time I checked, you had no where to go." Zuko was furious. Still, he had nothing to say.

"Fine," he said bitterly. "I'll do it. Only one problem though. I'm not fully trained to be a master. I have not yet finished my training."

"We'll worry about that later. At the moment, I can settle for everything that you know, and we'll see what happens then."

* * *

Azula was thinking to herself. _I can't believe that traitor. I give him a spot on the throne. I help him restore his honor. And yet he betrays me. How could he even know my plan? _She pondered this for a minute. _Hmm. There are only two people who could've aided Zuko…_

Azula's thoughts were interrupted when a Dai Li agent walked through the Grand Doors.

"Speak, minion," Azula commanded. "Have you news on Prince Zuko?"

"Not exactly," he responded. " However, citizens we interrogated have claimed to have seen the Avatar and his bison flying northeast. They were probably headed for the refugee village of Wei Xiao Se."

"Go get Ty Lee and Mai. We're going after the Avatar."

"As you wish, Princess."

* * *

"I think its safe to leave now," Smellerbee stated, looking through the window. Longshot silently agreed, and together they snuck out of the building. After some time, the pair made it to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se. They had one problem, however. Multiple Dai Li agents were guarding the wall. Avoiding conflict, the rebels snuck away and ran into a dark alley.

"You there!" a voice called from the end of the alley.

"We have some questions," another voice said. The figures emerged from the shadows. They were Dai Li agents. Without saying a word, Smellerbee took out her sword, and Longshot drew his crossbow.

"State your name and business, agents," a Dai Li agent commanded to a pair of familiar teenagers dressed in Dai Li uniforms.

"My name is Reina," Smellerbee said. "and this is my friend… Mio. We were sent by Long Feng to search outside the city for the Fire Nation prince."

"I have never seen your faces. Are you new recruits?" the Dai Li inquired.

"Yes. We are new recruits." Smellerbee responded quickly.

"Then you are the new recruits Long Feng was alking about. He requests you meet him in his quarters immediately."

"Okay," Smellerbee said nervously, as the Dai Li agent began to escort the disguised Freedom Fighters to the Royal Palace.

As the three neared the palace doors, the agent handed a stack of papers to the teenagers.

"Long Feng requests you fill out this paperwork by tomorrow." The agent said with a suspicious grin on his face. They browsed looked at the top of the pile, and found something that caught their eye. There was one thing that caught It was no form of contract or paperwork. It was a wanted poster. A wanted poster of them.

* * *

It was a few hours after Zuko had joined up with Aang and the group. They all successfully found jobs in the village, and they finished their work and received their pay. They were all about to turn in for the night when they saw a Fire Nation Ship pull up at the docks.

"No," Zuko said in disbelief. "It can't be,"

"Prepare for attack," said Azula as she, Mai, and Ty Lee exited the ship. "The Avatar could be anywhere."

"Yes, Azula," Ty Lee responded, as she and Mai began to walk into the village.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Azula said, prompting her two allies to turn around.

"I would like you two to check on the prisoners first."

"As you wish, Azula," Mai said.

"Good. I will see you once you are done with your assignment," said Azula. "Or not," she muttered under her breath as soon as they were out of earshot.

"She definitely knows something," Ty Lee said as the pair reached the prison chambers.

"Yeah. We'll have to act fast if we want to free him." Mai said. She searched around the area and saw where the keys were hanging, though it was hung high up above the ground, unreachable. The skilled Shuriken expert took a knife, and carefully she aimed it at the key, threw it, and pinned the keys to the wall.

"Great! Now lets get it and open the cell," said Ty Lee. Mai drew two more knives and pushed them into the wall as far up as her arms could reach. Then, she took one knife and moved it higher up the wall. Gradually climbing, she reached the keys, grabbed them, and fell to the ground. She inserted the keys into the cell that contained Iroh and Suki, and the door opened smoothly. Suddenly, a group of Dai Li agents appeared behind them.

"Damn!" Mai said. "It's a trap! Ty Lee! You rescue the prisoners while I hold them off."

"Got it." Ty Lee said. She then ran over to the cell to see an overweight old man and a young woman in white makeup and warrior robes.

"Come on. We're here to help you," said Ty Lee

"Aren't you Azula's friends?" Iroh questioned.

"Not anymore. Anyway, we're here to rescue you."

"How can we trust you?" asked Suki. "You're the ones that captured me and my warriors in the first place."

"Because we have something in common," Ty Lee said in a solemn voice. "Azula wants us both dead. Now we need to get out of here."

"No, you two and Iroh need to get out more than I do. I'll hold them off."

"Okay if you say so. Come on Iroh." Ty Lee and Iroh ran out the doors of the cell, while Suki walked into the fray of the battle.

* * *

Smellerbee and Longshot instantly delved into their pockets for their weapons and assumed fighting position. It was too late however. A horde of Dai Li agents had already grabbed them by the limbs and prevented any escape. Soon the saw a familiar man in long, green robes open the palace doors and stroll over to the fighters, a superior look on his face.

"So you kids thought you could fool me, didn't you?" Long Feng said. Suddenly they remembered him. He was there, below Lake Laogai. He was the one who killed Jet.

"You bastard!" Smellerbee spat out in disgust, tears dripping from her eyes. "How did you know?" Long Feng then pointed to the his left. They saw a man in nothing but underwear and an undershirt, with a mark over his face from masking tape and rope marks. He was the Dai Li agent they had attacked

"As I was saying," Long Feng conntinued. "I am deeply sorry for the loss of your little friend. There was nothing I could have done." Smellerbee felt like she wanted to slash the wretched man with her sword until all the blood had been drained. She would have done it too, had the Dai Li and Longshot not been holding her back.

"You filthy liar!" she exclaimed. "You were the one who killed Jet!"

"I did no such thing. Now if you would be so kind as to follow me, I will clear all of these false memories for you." She was desperately trying to escape, clawing at the Dai LI agents, until Longshot began to speak in her ear. Smellerbee calmed down tremendously, and she looked down at the ground.

"I will go first," Longshot spoke up.

"But Longshot I-" Smellerbee was cut short when Lonshot put one finger over her lips to quiet her. Though he had not spoken, she understood what Longshot had meant. Hesitantly, Smellerbee let go of his hand, and he began to follow Long Feng.

Soon he found himself in a dark room with a spinning mobile-type object. Long Feng soon followed into the room and shut the door.

"Are you ready?" Long Feng said

"Yes," Longshot said. He was slowly becoming entranced by the mobile.

"Okay then. Listen well. There has never been a Jet,"

"Never been a Jet,"

"You know of nobody called Jet,"

"Nobody called Jet,"

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se"

"No war,"

"The fire nation is a lie. It does not exist."

"No Fire Nation."

"All is at peace in the world."

"All is at peace," Longshot said finally before difting into sleep.

"Your transformation is complete," Long Feng said. "Longshot, The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." Suddenly, Longshot's deep eyes filled with a blank shade of nothingness, like the infinite voids of the universe.

"I am honored to accept his invitation."

"Good. Now bring your friend in here so she may receive her invitation."

"As you wish, master."

* * *

"Well Avatar," Azula said, her gaze fixed on Aang. "You must be pretty good to survive my lightning. Unfortunately, I'm better."

"Enough!" Zuko shouted. "Are you going to fight or just talk all day?" Azula then turned her attention to her brother.

"Zuzu, I hadn't noticed you!" she said. "I can't say I'm not surprised. I knew you were pathetic, but I didn't think you would be serving the Avatar.

"I am not serving the Avatar!'" Zuko yelled. "and where are Mai and Ty Lee?"

"Hmm. I would have thought you of all people would know, Zuko."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know what happened." She said, "They helped you escape. Right now they are being taken care of by the Dai Li." Zuko's heart dropped. His golden eyes filled with fury. Suddenly, he shot a fire blast directly at Azula, who narrowly dodged the attack. She then proceeded to shoot a lightning bolt at Aang. The battle raged on until a two teenage girls and an older man stepped into the line of fire. One of the girls hit Azula with some quick jabs, and she couldn't move.

"Ty Lee! Mai! You escaped?" Azula spat out furiously while lying on the ground helplessly.

"Uncle!" Zuko shouted as he ran over to Iroh, tears of joy welling in his eyes. Iroh only returned an indifferent and emotionless look.

* * *

"What are you doing with Longshot!" Smellerbee demanded to a Dai Li agent, clutching him by the neck. The Dai Li agent didn't budge, and mearly pushed her to the ground.

"Long Feng has instructed not to provide any information to prisoners." Smellerbee was about to strangle the man when Longshot walked into the room. She recognized the blank look in his eyes. It was the same one Jet had, after he had been hypnotized. She instantly rushed to her fellow freedom fighter.

"What the hell have they done with you?" she asked worriedly.

"Long Feng has requested you follow me," Longshot said, completely ignoring what she said.

"Longshot, what's wrong with you?"

"You must follow me."

"Longshot!" Because of Smellerbee's incooperation, he was forced to cease her speaking by covering her mouth with his hand and forcefully dragging her into the corridor. As soon as they rounded the corner, he let go of her mouth.

"Run," was all he said.

"What?" Smellerbee questioned confusedly.

"You heard me. Run from here. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"But Longshot, what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. We'll meet again soon."

"Oh, Longshot!" Smellerbee said as she leaped into Longshot's arms and began to kiss him passionately. Taken aback by the sudden attack, (a/n: Hey That rhymed!) Longshot lost his footing and fell to the ground, and they continued to kiss until they had to break for air, in which they said their final goodbyes and readied for their plan.

"You're back already?" one of the agents asked as the two walked back in the room.

"Long Feng would like me to speak with you." He then proceeded to lean close to the man's ear ro whisper something to him, when suddenly he grabbed him be the arm and flipped him to the ground. He then proceeded to take down the approaching Dai Li agents.

"Get out of here! I'll be okay," he yelled to Smellerbee. Hesitantly, Smellerbee ran out the front doors of the palace, knocking any Dai Li heads who got in her way.

* * *

"Uncle, I'm so sorry," Zuko said. "I cracked under the pressure and made the wrong decision." Iroh was still unconvinced. "I promise it will never happen again. Just give me another chance."

"You know what I say," Iroh said, his face brightened. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Though in your case it would be a third chance." The two then gave each other a huge hug, which was stopped when Toph began to speak.

"What are these two doing here?" Toph asked, directing everyone's attention to Ty Le and Mai. "I thought they hunting us down!"

"I knew it!" exclaimed Sokka. "You're still helping Azula!"

"Sokka," Katara said sternly. "Just let them explain."

"Please," Zuko said. "They helped me and Uncle Iroh escape from Azula. We are all her enemies now."

"Okay!" Aang exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention. "We'll take a vote. Who thinks we shouldn't let Zuko, Iroh, Ty Lee, and Mai come with us?" Sokka and Kuei raised their hands. "All right, who thinks we should?" Katara, and hesitantly, Toph, raised their hands. Everyone then looked at Aang and Kuei.

"What do you think Aang?" Katara asked. After a moment of thought, he gave his answer.

"I say yes." Everyone except Sokka, and even Kuei, then began to cheer.

"I think I could get used to this," Ty Lee said flirtatiously to Sokka.

"What does that mean?" he asked, completely ignorant to her flirting.

"You'll find out soon." she said, giving a suggestive look and walking away to find Zuko and Mai in an embrace.

"Group Hug!" she said as she grabbed them both and brought them into one of her famous hugs, leaving everyone else around in hystericle laughter


	4. Sokka's Master

Chapter 4: Sokka's Master 

"So, what do we now?" Sokka asked the group as they flew on Appa's newly saddled back.

"Hey, you're the reason we had to leave," Katara shot at her brother.

"How was I supposed to know papayas were flammable?" Sokka defended. "I told Toph we should have gone with mangoes."

"Are you calling this my fault?" Toph shouted.

"Whatever. Toph's wrongness aside, I keep getting the feeling we are forgetting something."

"Like what?" Zuko asked.

"I'm not really sure. Just something. Or someone." His eyes suddenly burst wide open in realization. "Suki!"

"Who?" asked Ty Lee. She remembered hearing that name somewhere before.

"She's this girl I'm sort of involved with," Sokka answered stressfully, disheartening Ty Lee. "I can't believe I forgot about her!"

"I hope she's okay," said Aang

"Maybe we could go to Kyoshi Island to look for her and the other Kyoshi Warriors." Katara suggested. Mai and Ty Lee's hearts dropped.

"Kyoshi Warriors," Ty Lee said, a distressed tone in her voice.

"What, do you know them or something?" questioned Aang.

"Um, no." Mai answered. "We don't. But we've heard of them."

"From Azula?" Katara asked.

"That kingdom stealing scoundrel," Kuei added bitterly.

"Yeah. Why?" Ty Lee said, her nerves increasing.

"Well, you guys had their clothes in Ba Sing Se. How did you get their uniforms anyway?

"Azula didn't say," Mai answered.

"Excuse me children, but shouldn't we be getting back to travel plans." Iroh interjected. Ty Lee and Mai were never so grateful in their lives. "If you plan to go to Kyoshi Island, it seems your bison is traveling in the wrong direction."

"Okay," Aang said. "Turn around, Boy!" The Flying bison made a 180° degree turn and began once again soring over the vast seas of the Earth Kingdom.

"Look! Down there!" Toph exclaimed while pointing to the ocean, causing everyone to pointlessly look over the edge and see nothing.

"You guys never learn do you?" Toph said, receiving angry glances from everyone, including Momo and Bosco. "Blind, remember?" The group traveled for hours on end, until finally Ty Lee saw something over the side of Appa.

"It can't be," Katara said as she gazed over the side to see a Water Tribe Ship. Sokka looked over as well, and came to the same conclusion.

"It's Dad! Aang, bring us down!" Aang then pulled on Appa's reigns, bringing Appa to begin descent down to the ship. They landed right beside the ship, and Sokka realized his conclusion was correct. "Sokka, Katara!" Hakoda said as he kneeled on the edge of the boat. "It's so good to see you again."

* * *

"Capture her!" Smellerbee heard someone say. But she could not look back. She had to keep running. Without Longshot. She felt a tear come to her eye, but she couldn't stop. She would run forever, as fast as her feet could take her. After what felt like a lifetime, Smellerbee found herself at the gates of Ba Sing Se. She quicky pulled out her sword and pulled it to a Dai Li agent's throat.

"Open the gate if you ever want to breathe again," she said to the agent, who was in a state of pure terror. Reluctantly, the man reached into his pocket and pressed a button on a remote control. Slowly, the walls began to open, Smellerbee clutching her sword to his throat the whole time through. As soon as the gate was open, she pulled the sword away and sprinted out of the city.

* * *

"Those doublecrossing bitches!" Azula shouted to herself. She was mad. Madder than she has ever been. Such emotion from Azula was so scarce that even her close family had probably never seen it. In fury, she shot a fire blast at the wall. Nervously, a man opened the Grand Doors and slowly approached Azula.

"Tell me, minion. Do you remember what happened last time some fool barged in the Grand Hall and approached me without proper notice?"

"Forgive me princess," The Dai Li agent stammered. "But I have a message from Fire Lord Ozai." Azula's narrow and sceptical eyes widened, her anger turned to stress. "He demands that you return to the Fire Nation immediately. He says that if you are not there in two days, he will send his Royal Guard to come get you."

"Tell my father I will be there," said Azula. She was really nervous. She knew what her father wanted her there for. He wanted to ask her about the traitors, Zuko, Iroh, Ty Lee, and Mai.

* * *

"Katara, it's been a long time," Hakoda said as the ship docked at the Southern Water Tribe. "Sokka, its been a few weeks. So what brings you and your friends back to the South Pole, anyway?"

"Well, we weren't actually planning to come," Sokka began. "Before we saw your fleet, we were going to go to Kyoshi Island to look for my gir-" he suddenly stopped himself from saying to word. "Um, my friend."

"Sokka!" Hakoda said sternly. "You weren't going to tell your father about your first girlfriend?"

"Actually," Katara chimed in. "He already had another one back at the North Pole."

"Ah, I remember my first girlfriend. Her name was-"

"Uh, Dad?" Sokka interjected. "Could we talk about something a little less awkward?"

"Oh, sure son," Hakoda said. "Unfortunately, the men and I have to leave in two days." This statement was greeted by dissapointed expressions from Sokka and Katara. This sadness was interrupted when another warrior came over to Hakoda.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Hakoda said to the man. He then turned back to Sokka. "Sokka, you remember Kaharo, correct?"

"Yeah," Sokka replied.

"Well, he is willing to stay behind and train you as a warrior."

"Seriously?" Sokka asked in excitement. "That would be great!" Kaharo was an expert with a boomerang, and Sokka had always idolized him. Now he was going to train him. Sokka was thrilled.

"But what about Suki?" Ty Lee interjected. "Who knows what could happen to her?"

"You're right. But what could we do?"

"Sokka, meet me at the training grounds in 10 minutes," said Kaharo. "If we are to finish training in two days, we will have to work immediately and constantly."

"Yes, Master Kaharo," said Sokka. Kaharo then procceded to walk further into the village a head for the Training Grounds. After bidding a temporary farewell to his father, Sokka followed his master, along with Aang, Katara, Toph,, Kuei, and Iroh. When Mi and Ty Lee began to walk, however, Zuko pulled them back until the three of them were the only ones left.

"Why did you lie?" Zuko asked, drawing worried looks from the girls.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mai, though she knew the answer.

"You know that you can't lie to me. I can tell if you're telling the truth. You know what happened to the Kyoshi Warrior."

"Please don't tell them," Ty Lee pleaded to Zuko. "If they find out, they'll never let us stay."

"And why does that matter to you so much?" Zuko asked, though he knew why. Ty Lee did not respond. "You know that what you are doing is extremely selfish."

"Since when are you the selfless one?" Mai asked angrily. "You tried to destroy the Avatar, the world's last hope for peace, just so you could help yourself."

"I know, and I'm not proud of what I did. I just don't want you two to make the same mistakes I made."

"Please don't tell them," Ty Lee said

"I won't. Just remember this," Zuko said to Ty Lee. "It doesn't matter if it helps you or not. If you really cared about him, then you would tell him."

* * *

"Set sail for the city of Ozai," Azula said to the captain of the ship. The stairs of the ship folded open, revealing a doorway, and the princess strode onto the ship.

After 3 hours at sea, the ship finally docked in the Fire Nation capital. When Azula got out of the ship, she saw a sea of Fire Nation soldiers, all dressed in crimson uniforms, parting in the middle at the sight of her, revealing a path. Azula, followed two Dai Li agents, walked the path and made way for the Royal Palace. When she reached the palace, she was greeted by three guards, who escorted her to the Fire Lord's throne room.

"The Fire Lord has requested that you stay out here," the guards said to the Dai Li agents. Azula and the guards then opened the doors to Fire Lord Ozai's throne room. The throne room was exactly the same as it was last time Azula was there. She spotted the fire burning in a large torch behind the Fire Lord, casting a menacing shadow over Ozai.

"Hello Father," Azula said, trying to keep her composure.

"Greetings Daughter," Ozai responded. "I heard of your exploits in Ba Sing Se, and I am very impressed."

"Thank you,"

"However," Ozai said, changing the subject. "You failed in your original mission. Both Zuko and Iroh have escaped and are currently traveling with the Avatar. Not only that, but you managed to let your friends' treachery go unpunished, and now they are with the Avatar as well. That means that you letr traitors escape. No other member of this family has lost this many traitors for centuries. Worst of all, you had them all in your grasp, yet they all escaped. Had thought of the possibility of having two failures for children, I would have had a third child to take my throne."

"I apologize, Father. I will improve in my next encounter with those traitors."

"See to it. It just might help you redeem yourself. Until then, I will send someone to help you with your mission. Someone you know very well."

* * *

"Okay Sokka," Kaharo began. "The first thing you need to learn is how to manipulate your opponent. This technique is essential for a warrior of the Water

Tribe. Like the way waterbenders have the ability to manipulate liquid, Nonbenders manipulate their foes. To do this, you must use your opponent's weaknesses against him. You wait for an opening, and when the timing is just right, you strike." He then lightly demonstrated this to Sokka. "Now you try." Sokka executed the move perfectly, amazing his master.

"That was great!" Kaharo complimented. "Have you learned this before?"

"Yes," Sokka replied. "I learned from a warrior from Kyoshi Island."

"Ah, the Kyoshi Warrior. Since they are so close to Kyoshi Island, we have had much contact with them and taught them many techniques, including this one. So, how are they?" Sokka was not enjoying this conversation. He did not want to think about Suki, or what might be happening to her.

"I don't know,"

* * *

"Wow!" This was all Katara and Aang could say as they walked into what they expected to be a small village. From what they remembered, The Southern Water Tribe was nothing more than a block of ice. Now what they saw before them was a spectacular dream in the making, comparable the Northern Tribe.

"Sokka, do you see this?" Katara aked Sokka, who she then realized was already far ahead. "Aang, do you see this?"

"I know. Its amazing." Aang responded.

"What's up?" Toph asked.

"Nothing," said Katara. "Its just that this place looks so different from how it used to look. So much nicer. Oh! I just remembered. We should go see Gran Gran."

"Who?" asked Toph.

"Katara and Sokka's grandmother," Aang answered.

"Toph, you want us to show you around?" said Katara

"Eh, why not. Its not like I have anything else to do."

"What about you two?" Katara asked, turning her attention toward Iroh and Kuei. "By the way, what happened to the others?"

"We'll just go relax somewhere," Iroh responded. "We adults do not have as much energy as you children. And now that you mention it, I don't know where Zuko and the girls are. I think there still talking back near the boat. We'll wait here for them."

"Okay then," Aang said. "Come on Katara, Toph." The children then entered the great city. On all sides, they saw small shops and markets, though most sold similar products. Eventually they saw a beautiful, large building with marble columns and spires.

"Maybe that's a palace or something." Aang said.

"Possibly," said Katara. "And Gran Gran is the leader of our tribe. Let's take a look. The children then walked up the stairway and entered the enormous building. As they expected, almost immediately upon entrance, the children saw familiar elderly woman.

"Katara!" Kanna said to her granddaughter. "It's so nice to see you again. I see you a traveling with a new friend."

"Nice to see you too, Gran Gran," said Katara. "This is Toph Bei Fong. Toph, this is my grandmother.

"Nice to meet you," said.

"Likewise," Toph said.

"So what happened here?" Katara asked her Grandmother. "How did this place become so beautiful so quickly?"

"Well, after the Fire Nation attacked, we decided we needed to rebuild. The real building began when a group from our sister tribe came to help. Eventually, most of the Northern Tribe was down here to help. They returned to the North Pole for Aioki Day a few weeks ago, but they are coming back next week to finish up."

"Aioki Day's coming up soon?" asked Katara. "We haven't seen a calender in a while."

"Yes, Its tomorrow."

"What's Aioki Day?" Aang questioned.

"It's a holiday celebrating the moon and ocean spirits." Kanna explained. "You see, many years ago, Tui and La both fell in Zove with a beautiful woman of the Water Tribe named Aimi. To prove their love, the spirits gave up their immortality and came down to the mortal world as humans. However, when they each confessed their love for Aimi, she spurned them, leaving them heartbroken.

"Now every Aioki Day, the men of our tribe 12 and older show how love lives on by giving an Aioki Necklace to the woman they love."

"Thanks. I have another question." The others all turned their attention back to Aang. "Do you have a bathroom?"

"Oh, sure," Kanna responded. "Down the hall and to the right." Aang then thanked her and walked off through the hallway.

"Oh, Gran Gran?" Katara began to ask when Aang was gone. "Does the man _have_ to be from the Water Tribe.

"Yes they do, unfortunately," Kanna said, disheartening Katara. "However, if I remember correctly, Bato said that someone has become an honorary member of the Water Tribe, though the name slips my mind. I believe it started with 'A'." Though she was trying to hide it, Katara felt a small smile creep over her face.

* * *

"Man, Katara," Toph said to Katara outside of the palace while waiting for Aang. "I cannot believe you have a thing for Twinkle Toes."

"What makes you think I like Aang?"

"I saw that smile when we were talking with your grandmother." Before Katara could respond, Aang opened the door and exited the palace.

"What did I miss?" Aang asked.

"A lot," Toph said.

"She's just joking," Katara said nervously. "Not much happened."

"Oookay," Aang said. "Anyway, we should go find Sokka and look for a place to stay for the night, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah, we should," said Katara.

"Are you ready for the next lesson, my pupil?" Kaharo asked.

"Yes, I am ready." Sokka responded. His master went through many lessons, Sokka figuring most out withing two or three tries.

"You are doing great Sokka," Kaharo stated to his student. "I can see why your father speaks so highly of you."

"Thank you, Master Kaharo."

"Sokka!" Katara said as she spotted her brother. "How's your training going?"

"It's going pretty well." He responded "So what's up?"

"Well we were looking for you so we could find a place to stay for the night. Its getting late."

"But I'm still training," said Sokka. He then turned his attention to Kaharo. "Could I please turn in a little early?"

"Well, I was planning to finish up in an hour, but since you're doing so well, I guess its okay. I want you back at 4:00 am sharp, though."

* * *

"Yes, Master Kaharo."

_Why did this all have to happen? _Smellerbee asked. _First I lose Jet, and now I lose Longshot. I guess I am destined to be alone in the world. _She then remembered what Longshot had told her. _"You will never be alone." He was wrong. Or was he? _She then remembered something an old friend had said. "_We will always be there for you."_ _They're here. Outside of the city. They're in Wei Xiao Se._

Smellerbee traveled on foot for a while until finally she entered the village.

"Excuse me," she asked a woman at the entrence. "Have you seen a group of fighters in red armor?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have not."

"Thanks anyway," Smellerbee said. "And by the way, I'm a girl!" After leaving the woman, Smellerbee searched for hours through the city, but to no avail.

"Man. It shouldn't be this hard to find them in such a small village. Oh! That's it! They will be somewhere hard to find. And they'll be somewhere high up."

After looking around, she spotted a tall building hidden by other buildings.

"That must be it!" she then entered the building and took a stairway to the top the building. True to her assumption, when Smellerbee reached the top floor, she saw just who she expected.

"Smellerbee!" a large young man said. She was not alone anymore. She was once again with the Freedom Fighters.

* * *

"Oh, Sokka," Aang said as the other seven went into their rooms to go to sleep. "I kinda have an issue I need help with."

"Yeah you do, but I'm not the one to ask. Maybe you should see a therapist or something,"

"Seriously Sokka, I need to know how to give the girl I like a necklace for Aioki Day tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Aioki Day? I must've really been really focused on my training. Anyway, you came to the right place. I am a master with the ladies. So what you have to do is…"

* * *

"Come on everybody!" Ty Lee yelled. "Rise and Shine! We've got a big day today."

"You say that everyday, Ty Lee." Mai said as she tiredly walkedout of her bedroom. "We don't even have anything planned today. You said that yesterday and all we ended up doing was lying around all day, and frankly that's all I want to do today."

"Yeah but that's still no reason to stay in bed all day!" Kuei, Iroh, Katara, and Zuko all walked out of there rooms next, followed by a sleepy Bosco stumbling in.

"Where are the other three?" Zuko asked.

"Well, the Avatar said he was goinfg out shopping." Said Ty Lee

"And Sokka is out training." Katara said. "So where's Toph?" She and the group all went to her room to investigate. They found Toph lying face down on the floor next to the bed, her hair sticking up as if it was full of static and a coating of dirt on her nightwear.

"Hey Toph," Katara said softly. "It's time to get up." When Toph did not respond she said, "Toph!" More forcefully. Toph only moved her hand a little, which sent a piece of the floor flying up, pushing Katara out of the room, and slamming the door shut.

"She's not much of a morning person."

* * *

"Sokka, my pupil," said Kaharo. "You have improved faster than anyone I have ever taught."

"Thank you, Master Kaharo," said Sokka

"You should be thanking yourself. You could have done all of this without my help. Congratulations Sokka, for you are now a Master Warrior."

"Really! That's amazing!" Sokka shouted. "I'm gonna go tell my dad!" He then began running, then walked back to Hakaro. "Um, where _is_ my dad?"

"He's staying in the building to the left of the palace. He'll be proud when you tell him the news. I'll bet your mother is proud of you, too."

"Yeah, I'll bet she is."

* * *

"Hey Katara," Aang said as he walked through the door. " You wanna go out and see the city or something? I saw this fountain shaped like the moon and ocean spirits. Its pretty nice for a fountain shaped like fish."

"I'd love to!" exclaimed Katara. "I mean, that sounds good."

"Okay, lets go." Said Aang. The two of them walked through the city. After a few mitutes, they found themselves at the fountain.

"Oh wow," Katara said in amazement as she gazed at the beautiful fountain. The lanterns around the fountain reflected their magnificent light onto the calm water of the fountains. "This is so beautiful."

"I have something for you." Aang said.

"What is it?" asked Katara. Aang then reached into his pocket and pulled out a shining blue necklace.

"Oh, its so beautiful," Katara said. "Aang, I can't believe this."

"I know it was a dumb idea." Aang said sadly.

"No, it wasn't," Katara said. The two leaned in, and their lips came together form a kiss which lasted for two minutes, though to them it felt like a lifetime,"

"Happy Aioki Day, Katara." Aang said softly as his lips came apart from Katara's.

"Happy Aioki Day, Aang."

* * *

"Smellerbee!" Pipsqueak exclaimed.

"Its so good to see you guys again." Smellerbee said.

"So, where are Jet and Longshot?" asked Sneers. Smellerbee's face instantly turned solemn. "Jet is dead."

"What?" The Duke asked in shock. "How did that happen?"

"He was killed by the Dai Li while trying to protect the Avatar."

"Oh no," said Pipsqueak. "So where's Longshot?"

"He was captured a few days ago," said Smellerbee. "After the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se."

"We'll help you get him back," said Sneers. "We're not losing anyone else to the Fire Nation."

"Thank you so much guys," Smellerbee said. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I wonder what Longshot's doing right now." The Duke said.

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

"Apparently, since you are not susceptible to reeducation," Long Feng said to Longshot, who was being held back by a pair of Dai Li, though he was not even putting up a fight. "Incarceration is the only way to insure that your misdeeds are punished for. Take him away, agents." As they were ordered, the Dai Li gripped Longshot' arms more forcefully and pulled him along to the prison cells. He was then shoved into the cell with a teenage girl in white makeup.

"Hello," she said. "My Name is Suki."


	5. The Painted Lady

A.N/ It's finally here! It took me a while, so I hope you like it. Please Review!

* * *

Chapter 5: The Painted Lady

"It's been great seeing you kids again," Hakoda said to his children. "And it was nice meeting your friends, too."

"I wish we could have seen you longer," said Katara

"Yeah," Sokka agreed. "We're gonna miss you, Dad."

"Don't worry my son," said Hakoda. "If all goes well, which it will, we'll be seeing each other by summer's end." He smiled at Aang. "I have full faith in you, Aang. I know that you will be able to defeat the Fire Lord and bring balance to the world."

"Thank you Mr. Katara and Sokka's Dad," Aang said brightly

"Please," Hakoda responded. "Just call me Hakoda." As they talked, Iroh walked to the center of the group along with Kuei.

"Well, The Earth King and I-"

"Ex-Earth King," Kuei corrected bitterly once again.

"Fine," Iroh said. "The Ex-Earth King and I have decided to stay here at the South Pole. Kuei says he is not accustomed to all of this traveling, and I am getting to old to keep up with you kids."

"Besides, there aren't many places to stay that permit bears." Kuei interjected while stroking Bosco.

"But Uncle, who will teach the Avatar?" Zuko asked Iroh. "I haven't mastered firebending yet."

"Nephew, do you remember what I told you yesterday? Do you remember the one thing you have not yet mastered?"

"Yes, it was lightning. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You could not learn to control lightning because you had yet overcome your inner turmoil. But now, by accepting your true destiny, you have reached peace with yourself."

"So are you saying I can shoot lightning?"

"Yes," Iroh answered. Zuko bent his legs, raised his arm, and pointed his fingers towards the skies. He his hand heat up to high temperatures, and continued to clear his mind. Suddenly, he felt a surge travel through his body, and a flash of lightning explode his finger tips, like a thread of pure energy,"

"Congratulations, my nephew," Iroh said to Zuko, who was beaming uncharacteristically. "You have just mastered Firebending."

"Thank you, Uncle," Zuko responded. "I had a great teacher."

"I have something to give you," said Iroh. He then took out an envelope with a white flower on the seal and handed it to Zuko.

"What is it?" asked Zuko

"You will soon find out," Iroh told him. "Anyway, you should brush up on Pai Sho for our next encounter."

"I will," Zuko said. "I will see you again soon, Father."

"And the same to you, my son."

* * *

"What do we do now?" The Duke asked his fellow Freedom Fighters. By now they had passed by the the receptionist and exited the village. 

"What else would we do?" Pipsqueak answered. "We're going to find Longshot."

"Really? Oh, thank you so much!" Smellerbee exclaimed gratefully. Her expression instantly turned serious as she began to plan. "He's being held in the royal prison chamber in Ba Sing Se. We have to act fast if we're going to save him."

"How will we do that?" Sneers questioned. "It took the Fire Nation 100 years to penetrate Ba Sing Se. How can we get into the city in a matter of days?"

"Because it's not the same situation." Smellerbee answered. "The Earth Kingdom wanted the Fire Nation _out _of the city. But now, The Fire Nation wants us _in_ the city."

* * *

The vast skies were dark as Appa glided through the air, with Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and Momo sat atop. Sokka was steering the massive bison, with Ty Lee sitting dangerously close to him, making him feel uncumfortable and effecting his already poor steering. Toph was sprawled out to one side of Sokka. Mai was resting her head on Zuko's shoulder, with Zuko's arm wrapped around the back of her neck and rested on her shoulder. All, excluding Momo, were tense, especially Aang and Katara. They were staring out at the land below on opposite sides of the bison, deep in thought. They knew that kiss should not have happened. Sokka was so overprotective of his sister. If he found out about the kiss, he'd kill Aang. 

"How far until we reach Kyoshi Island?" Toph asked.

"I'm not sure," Sokka responded. "Lets just hope it's close." For what seemed like the longest few hours ever, the group found themselves at Kyoshi Island. In the lake below, several Elephant Koi were flopping in and out of the water.

"Oh, What's that?!" Ty Lee asked, pointing at an enourmous fin slowly moving toward the Koi. "It has to be like 200 feet long!" Before anyone could even respond the creature rose from the water and lashed out at the bison.

"Dive!" Aang ordered to Sokka. The bison was brought down just in time to avoid the beast. Momo then opened his wings and flew up to the creature's snout. Momo then started to pull on the whiskers, disorienting the serpent and allowing Appa and the group to escape to shore.

"Good job, buddy!" Aang said as Momo flew over to him and landed on his shoulder.

"What was that?" Ty Lee asked again, now that they were on land and everything had calmed down.

"That was the Unagi," Sokka responded. "We've had a few run-ins with that monster before."

"We have to move on," Katara pointed out.

"You're right Katara," said Sokka. "We need to find Suki." As the group passed by the lake, Aang and Katara stayed behind.

"We need to talk," Katara said. "How are we going to tell Sokka. He's so over protective. If he found out about… you know, he would be furious."

"This Suki thing doesn't help the situation either." said Aang. "He's already stressed as it is. When he finds out, he'll freak."

"I'm not sure he _can_ find out,"

"So what are we gonna do? Keep it a secret?"

"What else can we do?"

* * *

"You remember the plan?" Smellerbee questioned as she and the other Freedom Fighters neared the great walls of Ba Sing Se. They were ready to fight for Ba Sing Se and save their teammate. They affirmed, and the group of four sped their way to the gates 

"What the hell?" said a Dai Li agent as they arose from the horizon. It was the same agent who had been threatened by Smellerbee not long ago. "She's… back?"

"Seize them!" another agent said, who seemed highly ranked. Instantly, a large horde of Dai Li agents surrounded the fighters. "Surrender! There's no escape."

"We don't want to escape," said Sneers, dropping his weapons. All the others did the same, leaving their attackers confused. "We won't put up a fight, so long as we are put in the same cell as Longshot."

"You expect us to believe that?" the agent spat. "Why would you _want_ to be captured?"

"Look," Smellerbee said. "You can take our deal, or you can try to capture us by force and end of losing half your men. It's your choice."

"Argh, Fine," he said reluctantly. "Agents, take them." The guards each bound the Freedom Fighters by their limbs, and pulled them along until they made it to the prison. What they did not notice was the knife concealed behind Smellerbee's back. When they reached the keys, she swiftly pulled the knife to her captor's neck. It was held so close a trickle of blood dropped from the agent.

* * *

"The Avatar!" one the Kyoshi natives shouted. This attracted the attention of everyone else around, and pretty soon, there was a huge mob of people all crowding around Appa. One of the men began to scream, followed by spasms and foaming at the mouth, before falling to the ground unconscious. 

"Aangie!" A young girl said, running up to Aang.

"Nice to see you again, Coco," Aang responded.

"Oyajii," Katara said as she spotted the mayor of Kyoshi Island "We needed to talk to you about something,"

"Ah yes," Oyajii responded. "How did that case go in Chin?"

"Not so well. Aang was proven guilty. It still worked out fine in the end though."

"What! How could that-

"Where's Suki?" Sokka interjected.

"I'm not sure," Oyajii responded. "We haven't seen her or the other warriors since they left to fight in the war."

"You mean she's not here?" Sokka's anxiety turned to pure despair. "Oh my God." Meanwhile, Ty Lee was feeling increasingly guilty. Looks from Zuko and Mai weren't helping either.

"What happened with Suki?" Oyajii asked in concern.

"Well, there were some Fire Nation girls posing as posing as her and the other warriors," Aang explained. "Actually, it was those two." He pointed to Ty Lee and Mai.

"Why are you traveling with _them_?"

"They're not that bad. They left the Fire Nation to join us, and we know we can trust them." Ty Lee had had enough of this guilt. Hesitantly, she walked up to Sokka.

"Um, Sokka," she said nervously.

"What is it?" Sokka snapped.

"Well," Ty Lee said. _This is it, _She thought. _He's going to hate me. But I have to do it. _"We were the ones that attacked the Kyoshi Wariors. Azula has Suki captured right now. She's…" Tears began to roll down her cheek. "She's going to be executed in 5 days."

"What!" Sokka shouted. His eyes filled with rage. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted Fire Nation!"

"Calm down Sokka," Katara said calmly.

"No! Suki could die because of them!" Sokka then turned back to Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko. "All of you, Leave! From now on, you're on your own!" Tears were now flowing freely from Ty Lee's beautiful eyes. Before she could break down though, Zuko pulled her up and helped her gain her composure.

"Come, Ty Lee," he said. "if they don't want us here, then we should go." All three of them walked off into the distance until they were no bigger than tiny ant-beetles. For the first time in a long, long while, Sokka fell to his knees, and began to cry.

* * *

"Let us go if you want to see your friend alive." Smellerbee threatened. This did not seem to faze the leader, who moved his hand forward to launch the earth from his hands and pin Smellerbee. However, Smellerbee was too quick, and she threw the agent to the ground and flipped into the air. Pipsqueak, who was chained to the Duke, swung him around and launched him at the leader. The Duke held out his leg and kicked the agent into the wall. With many of the agents knocked out, Smellerbee cut her chains with the knife, along with the others. When they were all finished, the rest of the agents were tied up. 

"Okay, we have to go find Longshot," Smellerbee said. She took one of Longshot's spare bows and knocked a shining, golden key off the wall. It was labeled,_ Cell 298:_ _Freedom Fighter and Kyoshi Warrior_. She took the key in her hand and ran down the long hallway.

"Hurry Up!" Pipsqueak shouted. "We have to find Longshot before more agents come!" They dashed through the hallways twisting and turning between the winding walls.

"He should be right up ahead," said Smellerbee. "Come on!" Soon, after dodging walls, torches, and other obstacles, the group found themselves in the cell room. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being a blue fire torch in the back of the room, remincent of those abandoned cellars you see in scary movies. Worriedly, they ran over to the cells, looking for Cell 298. They were startled to find that all of the cells they saw were completely empty. When they finally found the cell, they realized this one was empty as well.

"He's gone!" Smellerbee gasped. "We have to get out of here before the Dai Li find us." They all dashed toward the door. However, before they could get out, a wall came down in front of the door, blocking their exit.

"Damn it!" she said. "It's a trap!"

* * *

"Sokka, you're being stupid," said Katara to Sokka, who was pacing around angrily. 

"You think I'm stupid, huh?" he said. "Well, I don't care. All I care about is finding Suki."

"And banishing our allies is going to help do that?"

"Don't talk to me like you're my mother. I don't have a mother."

"Sokka, we all want to find Suki as much as you do. So let us help."

"I don't need any help! I can do this on my own!"

"But that doesn't mean you have to," Katara said, her tone softening. "Don't shut out your friends, Sokka. We all want to help. Though it may not seem like it, I'm sure Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko want to help too."

Sokka began to calm down. Realizing Katara was right, he sank to the ground and let tears well up in his eyes, with Katara comforting him.

"You had to know this was going to happen," Zuko said to Ty Lee sat hunched over against a rock, and Mai. "If you had told them sooner, this wouldn't be happening. I can't say I care that it did, though.

"Are you saying that you don't care at all about what happened?" Mai asked in disbelief.

"Yes," he replied with anger in his voice. "Who needs the Avatar anyway?"

"You're lying, Zuko"

"What are you saying?" Zuko said, raising his voice.

"Please, Zuko," Mai pleaded softly. "I love you Zuko, and I can't bear to see you get so angry. They'll come around. Besides, you can't blame them. It was mostly Ty Lee's and my fault."

"Argh," Zuko grunted. "You're right, Mai." He knew there was something he wanted to say, but he was not sure how to say it. But he did. "I love you, Mai."

"I love you too, Zuko." Before either one of them new it, they were less than an inch apart from each other, wrapped in each other's arms. Mai's arms were wrapped lovingly around Zuko's neck, her lips on his. The passionate kiss lasted for many long minutes, until an increasing uncomfortable Ty Lee saw a large creature loom overhead. She walked up to the two lovers and tapped Mai on the shoulder.

"May I help you, Ty Lee?" Mai asked her sarcastically as she broke away from Zuko.

"Sorry to interrupt," Ty Lee answered. "But there are some people to see us." She pointed over to Appa, who was just landing to the ground. She glanced toward Sokka, who seemed to have a reluctant look on his face.

"Get on," he said. "If were going to find Suki, we'll need all the help we can get." Instantly, Ty Lee's face brightened with happiness, and although they tried not to show it, Mai and Zuko were grinning slightly as well.

"So, is there anything else you forgot to mention?" Sokka asked Ty Lee as she boarded the gargantuous

"I don't think think so," she responded. "I'll let you know, though."

"Hey, Zuko?" Mai asked. "What was in that letter from your Uncle?"

"Oh, I forgot about that," Zuko replied. He started fumbling through his pockets, looking for the letter. He then pulled out the same envelope with the white flower. He slit the envelope open and beganto read the note aloud.

Dear Grand Master Iroh,

This is G.P., Supreme Patriarch of The White Lotus. Today, present you with good news. We have just made contact with your sister-in-law, Grand Mistress Ursa." "She has requested a meeting with her son, your nephew Zuko. However, it is not safe for me to give her location in this letter, for fear of interception. The order suggests that you train young Zuko in our methods before he is sent to me. When he has finished training, then you should give him this letter and send him to find me at the Palace of Lotus, which is located on an island in the Eastern Ocean, near the Eastern Air Nomads. You should stay at The Southern Water Tribe, where you will meet with Grand Mistress Kanna. I look forward to seeing your nephew someday soon.

Sincerely,

G.P., Supreme Patriarch for the Order of the White Lotus

"I…" Zuko stammered. "I'm going to see my mother." Soon, Appa flew into the skies, leaving no one else around. Except for one.

"The Avatar and his friends are looking for the Kyoshi warrior." A man said into a pair of headphones. "They wish to save her."

"I see," said a calm, yet vicious female voice. "This could work to our advantage. With this bait, it will be simple capturing the Avatar, and my brother. You have fulfilled your duties admirably, Lieutenant Kai."

"Thank you, Princess Azula."

* * *

A.N./ In case you didn't notice, Mai is becoming extremely OOC. Just wanted to let you know that she's supposed to be like that, and she loses the wholegoth thing when she got together with Zuko. The story gets more interesting from here on, so i hope you people keep reading! This one is also going to take a while though, since i have testing, not to mention my Bar Mitzvah! Plz R&R! 


	6. The Lieutenant

Phew! Finally here! I didn't have many ideas, so it took me a while. It took a lot of effort, so I hope you like it. R&R!

* * *

Chapter 6: The Lieutenant 

"Where's Longshot?" Smellerbee demanded, her hands held behind her back. She was captured by the Dai Li. Again. When no one responded, she repeated her self, raising her tone. "Where is Longshot?"

"I don't think you're in position to ask questions," Long Feng responded. "As you can see, there is no escape." Angrily, Smellerbee threw a kick at a Dai Agent, knocking him to the floor. However, she was not quick enough to get away. Another agent shot the earth from his hands, pinning her feet to the ground.

"Nice try girl, but you're not going anywhere." The Dai Li grabbed her by the ankles and chained them together. With no other option, Smellerbee gave up and let them haul her to the docks of Ba Sing Se.

Smellerbee had a feeling of shock and dismay upon exiting the castle. What used to a peaceful, orderly city was now fiery and chaotic. Houses burning, people screaming, children crying, and smoke filling the air.

"So, how does it feel to collapse your own nation?" Smellerbee asked Long Feng.

"What are you talking about, girl?" Long Feng asked sharply.

"You know what I'm talking about. If you hadn't conspired against the Earth Kingdom, we would have had Ba Sing Se better protection against the Fire Nation."

"My full loyalty is to the Fire Nation. I feel no guilt," He answered.

"I was in the castle when the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se. You were about to arrest the princess. The only reason you joined her was because you had to." Soon, they reached a Fire Nation ship anchored at the dock.

"Take this Freedom Fighter to her cell," said Long Feng. "I'm growing tired of her hopeless efforts."

* * *

"You have know idea where we're going, do you?" Sokka said to Aang, who was steering Appa. "We've been traveling in circles for like, a half-an-hour." 

"Sokka's right," said Katara. "We need to plan out where to go. We should land somewhere and plot out our travel."

"We can't stop!" exclaimed Sokka. "We need to find Suki!"

"Sokka, if we keep going, we could get even more lost and it would take longer to find Suki," said Aang. Realizing has right, Sokka became quiet. After a few minutes, Aang found a small, wooded island.

"Okay," Zuko said. "You guys go plan, while I train Aang in Firebending. We've barely gotten any training in since we started."

"I'll come watch," said Toph. "Firebending beats talking any day." The groups went their separate ways, with Zuko, Aang, and Toph going to a nearby beach, where they could not burn anything. Toph went to sit on a nearby rock, while Zuko fumbled through his pocket and pulled out a leaf. He then lit a small flame on the leaf and handed it to Aang.

"We're going to try the leaf again, but this time, let the fire reach the edge. I want you to try controlling the fire." Aang focused on the leaf as he did in his last lesson, but this time he relaxed his muscles until the whole leaf was engulfed in flame. When he gazed down at the fiery embers in his palm, something came back to him. A memory.

_Flames were jetting out of Aang's hands in all directions. "Be Careful Aang, You'll hurt yourself!" Katara called out to Aang. However, he just kept going. Suddenly, he heard a pained cry. Katara had been burned. _

Katara's cry was the most awful thing Aang had every heard. And he had caused it. Aang closed his hands together and muffled the fire. "Katara," he said under his breath.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked.

"I can't," said Aang. "I don't want to hurt anyone." Before they could say anything more, Toph shouted, "Behind you!" The two boys turned around to see a somewhat muscular young man with dark brown hair, carrying a pair of broadswords.

"Long time no see, Zuko," the young man said.

"Kai!" said Zuko angrily. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Sorry, but I have no time for questions." Kai then lunged at Zuko who bent backwards just quick enough to avoid the swords. Hearing the action from where they were conversing, the other four soon entered the fray of battle. Mai shot a pair of stilettos from her hands pinning him to the wall. Ty Lee then took shots at his pressure points, leaving his arms useless.

"Who are you?" Aang demanded. However instead of responding, Kai merely closed his eyes tilted his head down and began breathing heavily. Smoke began filling the air, and by the time it had subsided, he was gone.

"What was that, some sort of disappearing act?" Sokka asked.

"No," Zuko said. "He used firebending to create a smokescreen."

"Who was that?" Katara asked.

"That was Lieutenant Kai." Zuko answered. "He was Admiral Zhao's son, and one of Azula's old friends. Apparently, he found my broadswords." While he was talking, Sokka noticed something of interest the boy had left behind. It was a fan. A fan of a Kyoshi Warrior.

* * *

As the Dai Li agents reached the cells, they unlocked the door and brutally tossed Smellerbee in one of them. As she looked around, she saw the faces of Sneers, The Duke, and Pipsqueak. 

"Oh, thank God you're here," She said to them. Her attention was redirected when the Duke tapped Smellerbee on the shoulder and pointed to the other side of the cell. As she turned to look, she saw the figure of the person she most desperately wanted to see.

"Longshot!" she shouted with joy. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her lips with his. They stayed together for many minutes before breaking apart.

"Um, did we miss something?" asked Pipsqueak. Before either could respond, Sneers piped in.

"That's okay, you don't need to explain anything. It's pretty easy to figure out."

"So how are we going to get out of here?" The Duke asked. "Does anyone have their weapons?" All shook their heads except Longshot, who was eying the cell carefully. Soon he found something.

"What are you looking at?" Sneers asked. Longshot pointed to one of the cell bars. The bar had part of the metal broken off, and seemed that it was barely holding up. He then pulled out a concealed and sliced the bar off.

"How can we fit through there?" asked The Duke, talking about the small opening where the bar used to be.

"That's not what he means," said Smellerbee. She then nodded to Longshot for approval, and then called, "Guards!" Right on cue, a Dai Li agent rushed over to the cell. "One of the bars has broken off of the cell."

"Very well then," said the guard. "Come with me. You will be moved to another cell while we fix this one." One by one the man, the man took them out of the cell and tied them up. Finally, he reached Smellerbee, who was still holding the bar. As he was about to put on her cuffs, she pulled out the bar and whacked him across the head. The agent was out cold. She took his handcuffs and tied his arms together, and then she took his phone and locked him in the cell. While the rest of the group went to leave, Longshot stayed behind.

"No," he said. "We can't leave."

"Why not?" The Duke asked.

"There's a girl. She's going to be executed tomorrow morning."

* * *

"Is that-" Katara began to ask while looking at the fan. 

"It's Suki's fan," Sokka answer. He then picked it up and began to inspect it for evidence of her location. He then found some words scrawled on the fan. "There's something written on it. It says 'Harutoma'."

"What does it mean?" asked Toph.

"It's a Fire Nation controlled city in the Western Earth Kingdom." Zuko said

"That's probably where Suki is!" exclaimed Sokka.

"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Katara. "It may be a trap."

"I know, but we don't have any leads," Sokka responded. "We have to at least give it a shot. Can you find it on the map, Aang?" Aang took out the map from Sokka's bag, and examined it until he found the city of Harutoma.

"It's in the Kolau Mountains, near Omashu. If we leave now, we'll probably make it by tomorrow morning." Before anyone could say anything, Sokka hopped on Appa's back and took the reigns.

"Come on, Momo," Katara said to the lemur, who was sitting on tree branch eating lychee nuts. "We have to leave." One by one, everyone boarded the bison.

"Yip Yip," said Sokka while pulling on the reigns, bringing Appa into the skies. As they left, Kai returned with his headphones, and began to talk with Azula again.

"The plan is working out perfectly," he said. "They are headed to Harutoma as we speak."

"And the tracking device?" asked Azula.

"Safely concealed in the fan."

"Very good. Now, I want you to take all the forces you can into Harutoma. We will ambush the Avatar and capture him, along with the traitors. Do not fail, Lieutenant."

"Don't worry about it, Princess. By tomorrow morning, the Avatar will be captured, on a ship back to the Fire Nation."

* * *

"So, what do we do?" asked the Duke. "We have no idea where the warrior girl is." 

"Our only shot is to look throughout the city." Smellerbee said. "We have to come to her eventually."

"We can't search the city looking like this," said Pipsqueak. "We need disguises." Each of them began looking for a clothing store, and luckily, they found one.

"Hello! Welcome to Mimi's!" the woman at the register said as they entered the building. However, instead of responding, they quickly grabbed the first things they could find and handed them to the lady. When they began to pay, however, they remembered something. If they used Earth Kingdom money, they would be caught. They franticly checked through their bag until they managed to find 10 Fire Nation copper pieces. They paid the woman, and then entered the changing rooms. One by one, each came out in Fire Nation clothing. Longshot, Sneers, The Duke, and Pipsqueak were each had clothes similar to what they were just wearing, except in shades of red rather than green. Smellerbee, however, was dressed very differently. She was wearing a tight red shirt and a pair of shorts with minimal coverage, with her hair let down. Longshot was speechless (Even more than usual).

"You seriously think you can fight in that?" asked The Duke.

"I didn't have time to see what I was picking," Smellerbee defended. "And as for the hair, I wanted to be as hard to recognize as possible." Her explanation was interrupted when two Fire Nation soldiers walked into the store. They walked up to the counter and began to speak with the saleswoman.

"We're looking for a boy with arrow tattoos and a young man with a scar on his eye," they said.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that," the woman responded.

"Well, be on the lookout. They should be arriving soon." The men turned to exit, followed by the Freedom Fighters. They wanted to know what was happening.

"Remember, as soon as the Avatar arrives, capture him and his friends." They heard one of them say. The group then quickly snuck off to talk.

"I think we have another priority," said Smellerbee. "We have to protect the Avatar. If he's captured, there will be nothing to stop the Fire Nation from winning the war." They thought over plans, and then went back near the soldiers. When the soldiers began their attack, so would they.


	7. The Execution

Here it is! Chapter 7! Sorry it took so long, but i was really busy. Finals, y'know? But now that school's over, I'll have more time than ever, and I will get new chapters in quicker. Please read & review!!!

* * *

Chapter 7: The Execution

A suspenseful silence filled the air as Appa began its landing. As soon as the bison's six massive feet hit the ground, everything came crashing down. The battle happened so fast that it was hard to tell who was who. As the smoke of the battlefield cleared, the Freedom Fighters pulled the Avatar team away from the fight. By the time the soldiers could catch up to them, Toph was able to shoot out a massive wave of earth, leaving most of them immobile and a few unconscious. Soon, they were long gone.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Aang.

"Well, we wanted to help out with the war, but then we were captured and brought to this place." Smellerbee responded. "We were just escaping when you got here." After she finished speaking, she noticed Zuko. "You're the guy from Ba Sing Se. You're Lee."

"What's going on?" Toph asked.

"We saw him in the city. Jet wanted him to become a Freedom Fighter until-" Smellerbee then turned her focus to Zuko. "Are you really a firebender?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Zuko answered. "My name isn't Lee either. I'm Zuko, banished Fire Prince.

"Well since you're traveling with the avatar, I guess we can deal with it. I just hope that its what Jet would have wanted."

"Wait, where's Jet?" asked Katara. No one responded. "No. Someone tell me he's okay." Again, no response, until Longshot spoke up.

"Jet is dead. He died under Lake Laogai."

"No. That's not possible." Katara said. "He promised he would be okay." When anyone would try to comfort her, she would push them away.

"Katara," said Aang. "It's not your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"I could have used the spirit water to heal him!" Katara shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "He would still be alive."

"But Aang wouldn't." said Sokka. "If you had used it on Jet, Aang would have been killed by Azula's lightning, and the world's last hope would be gone forever."

Eventually, she got up and pushed on ahead, suppressing tears. "We have to move on and find Suki."

"When you were captured, did you see a girl with white makeup and a warrior's uniform?" Sokka asked the Freedom Fighters

"Yes. She's in the city, and her execution is tomorrow," said Longshot.

"Oh, thank God she's okay. We have to go find her. We'll check the whole city if we have to." After searching for hours, They decided to rest for a little while.

"Hey Katara, do you want to talk?" Aang asked. He could tell she had something on her mind. She agreed, and they walked out of earshot of the others.

"Why didn't you give Jet the spirit water?" asked Aang. "It's not like you to not think of it."

"I know." Katara sighed. "The truth is, I was angry. I remembered how he had hurt me, and I couldn't help feeling he deserved what he was getting." Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I didn't want to believe that he could die. And having the water not work would be too unbearable. It was terrible, it was stupid, but it's what I did." She was now sobbing openly. Aang moved closer to Katara, holding her in his arms and comforting her.

"You loved him, didn't you?" Katara nodded gently. "I'm sorry. I really care about you. I just need some time to think." Suddenly, they saw the sky become brighter, and the heard the loud crackle of fire. They went back to the others, and soon, all of them saw an enormous flame burning half a mile away.

"What's going on?" asked Toph. "It sounds like a fire."

"It is," Zuko responded. "It's the fire used for executions."

"They always light the fire an hour before it starts," said Mai. "We don't have much time."

"Well, we can follow the fire, and it will lead us straight to Suki!" Sokka said hopefully. He rushed toward the blaze, with the others trailing behind.

* * *

"Welcome," Azula said to a massive audience gathered around an open flame, with Long Feng by her side. "I present to you, my fellow Fire Nation citizens, one of our greatest enemies. This prisoner has worked much against our cause, and she has worked closely with avatar. I bring before you, Suki of Kyoshi Island." A pair of Dai Li agents came out with the warrior, who was tied up with chains. Her hair was dirty and unkempt, and she was wearing no makeup. She was dressed in nothing more than slaves' rags. It was clear Suki would not give up without a fight, for she was struggling with the ropes and flailing her arms.

"Your majesty," Long Feng whispered to Azula. "It seems we have a problem."

"What is it?" Azula responded sharply.

"Well the Avatar and his friends have escaped, along with the five Freedom Fighters."

"Then send Kai after them. They will be coming here to find their friend. I'm sure of it."

"As you wish, Princess," Long Feng responded. He then left to find Kai.

* * *

Aang and the group found themselves standing at the threshold of a huge, Colosseum-like building. As soon as they entered however, they were greeted by Lieutenant Kai and a group of Dai Li agents.

"Here to rescue the peasant, are you?" he said. "It won't matter. Her blood will spill by daybreak."

"They're outnumbered 8 to 12," Sokka whispered, standing his ground. "Only 3 people can go after Suki. It'll have to be Aang, and Zuko, and me."

"On three," Pipsqueak counted off. "One, Two, Three." As soon as he said one. Everyone ran forward. The girls and the Freedom Fighters charged at the Dai Li, weapons clanging, ice shooting, and rocks flying. Aang, Sokka, and Zuko fought their way through the group of agents. After making it through, they dashed speedily through the vast corridors in the Palace of Harutoma.

* * *

"The preparations are complete, princess," said Long Feng. Azula stood on the balcony of the courtyard, watching the ceremony from above. She watched as soldiers dragged Suki to the center of the palace and brutally tied her to a stake. Soon, a pair of Fire Sages entered, with flames in their hands. As they traveled to the center of the room, however, a boomerang flew in their direction. The boomerang knocked the torches to the grounds, starting a fire.

"The Avatar!" someone shouted as Aang, Sokka, & Zuko dashed into the courtyard, attacking numerous firebenders and soldiers along the way. Immediately, Azula sprung into action, jumping from the balcony and landing smoothly on the ground.

"Hmm," said Azula. "A small child, a vengeful boyfriend, and a treacherous fool. Not much of an army. Is this all the Earth Kingdom has to oppose me?" Rather than respond, Sokka fought through to Suki, fire in his eyes. He had a lust for vengeance and a hunger for blood.

Meanwhile, Aang and Zuko were fighting for their lives against a mob of soldiers. Zuko was using a combination of his broadswords and firebending, while Aang was blasting the soldiers with jets of earth. Aang was dodging fireballs left and right when, suddenly, he felt an cold sensation in his chest. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain, to the point of being unbearable. He looked down to see blood spurting from a huge gash in his torso. He had been slashed by a sword.

Aang clutches his chest in agony, trying to keep the blood from spilling out. However, it eventually became to difficult, and he fell to the ground. His vision became blurred, and he could barely make out the image of Zuko and the other fighters. The clanging of swords and the crackling of fire were the last thing Aang heard before slipping out of consciousness.

"Aang's out cold," Zuko shouted to Sokka over the fighting. "He needs healing soon, or he may not survive."

"You need to go get Katara," Sokka shouted back. "Take him with you. That way he can't be injured any more seriously." After firing one last flame at the soldiers in order to clear the area, Zuko took Aang on his back and ran back to Katara and the others.

By this point, Sokka had almost finished untying the rope which bound Suki to her stake. After cutting the last strand of rope with his machete, the warrior was free. Without wasting a single moment, Sokka pulled his lost love into a loving kiss.

"I knew you'd come," Suki said as they separated.

"There's not much time. We have to get out of here," said Sokka.

"We can't leave yet," Suki responded. "We need to free this city from the Fire Nation." Before Sokka could say anything else, he saw a streak of lightning pass through the crowd of people and hit Suki in the heart.

"Suki!" Sokka shouted in agony. He saw his love fall to the ground, right in the middle of the battlefield. He turned to see who had fired it, and saw Azula, her icy gaze fixed on the girl and her mouth in a cruel grin.

* * *

"What's going on?" Smellerbee asked as Zuko came back in the room. She was clearly out of breath. They had just successfully pushed back the Dai Li agents. Everyone was wondering the same thing, but Katara, who was the first one to notice Aang, instantly knew why he had come back.

"Oh my God," she said as she rushed over to Aang and put her hand on his cheek.

"He was slashed by a sword," Zuko explained. "He doesn't have much time." Katara instantly grabbed her bending water from her bag and opened the bottle. With the movement of her hand, the water floated toward the wound and began to glow. Soon, the gash, became a minor cut, and eventually faded away altogether. In a little while, Aang's eyes opened up, and he could see the worried gaze of Katara.

"Oh, Aang," Katara cried. Before either knew what was happening, they were in each other's arms, their lips pressed together in a kiss that seemed to last forever. When they pulled apart everyone around was completely confused. However, rather than waste time, they all ran along to catch up with Sokka.

* * *

"Suki, don't worry. Katara can heal you," said Sokka after taking Suki away from the battlefield. Though he was saying it would be okay, it was easy to tell he was frantic.

"Sokka," Suki replied weakly. "I've been hit by lightning. I won't be alive much longer, no matter what Katara does."

"No, I can't lose you. Not again." Sokka said in denial.

"Sokka, there's nothing you can do." Said Suki. Realization finally struck Sokka, and he began to accept what was happening.

"I love you Suki, and I will never forget you."

"I love you too, Sokka." Sokka and Suki joined together for one final kiss. Sokka held her until the her muscles became limp and her eyes lost their light. Suki was dead.

Even after she had passed, Sokka would not let go of her. He could not bear the thought of never being with her again. When he finally separated from his passed love, he fell to the ground, and began to cry. He stayed hear mourning until Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and The Freedom Fighters arrived.

"Oh no," Aang said as they entered the room. "We're too late." Surprisingly, Sokka stood up and began to walk back to the battlefield.

"We need to free this city," he said. "Its what Suki would have wanted." They all filed down the hallways and found their way to the battlefield. Sokka, fueled with vengeance, ruthlessly attacked the soldiers. When fighting the soldiers, Aang remembered how many people the Fire Nation has savaged. People he cared about. People he loved. Suddenly, the anger in his heart caused him to throw fire from his hands. He had learned to firebend.

Eventually, the group managed to drive the Fire Nation out of the city and reclaimed it for The Earth Kingdom. The city of Butomi was restored. However, the battle would leave a permanent scar. The loss of Suki, the Kyoshi Warrior. This loss will change the life of the twelve heroes forever, especially Sokka's.

* * *

Well, its done. Hope u liked it! PLEEEZ Review!!! 


	8. The Burial

Well, my first chapter of the summer! Hope you like it. (Which is pretty obvious :-) ) I have tons of ideas, so you should see a new chapter very soon. R&R pleez!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Burial

"Welcome," Oyajii greeted solemnly as a group of mourners dressed in black entered the temple. "We are greatful that you could come support the family in this dark time." Oyajii walked up to the podium at the front of the Earth Temple. The temple was beautifully adorned with green and brown curtainry to honor their holy spirits, Bhumi, the Spirit of Stone, and Hei Bai, the Spirit of Forest. The front of the temple held The Holy Scriptures of Earth.

"Hello everyone," Oyajii began. "We have gathered here to day in memory of our beloved Suki. Suki was a courageous, kind, and caring young woman. She was a loving daughter, a loyal friend, and a devoted girlfriend." During the funeral, Aang, Katara, and Sokka were seated in the front row with Suki's family, while Toph, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, and the Freedom Fighters were sitting in the second.

Sokka, who was hurt the most by this loss, had tears running down his cheeks and a pained look on his face. Aang and Katara were sitting hand in hand with grief stricken looks on their faces, while Mai was silently resting her head on Zuko's shoulder. Ty Lee, on the other hand, was wailing openly, despite the fact she did not know Suki very well. This was irritating to Toph next to her, who was quietly listening to Oyajii speak. Even Momo had a sad look on his face, even though he couldn't understand what was going on.

After Oyajii's sad but touching speech had finished, the entire gathering of people filed out of the building and into the cemetery. In the center of the large graveyard was an enourmous statue of Avatar Kyoshi. At the base of the statue was Kyoshi's grave. A few feet away from the Avatar's grave was a large hle in the earth, which was clearly where Suki was going to be buried. Before Suki's casket was closed, Sokka bent over and gave her body a gentle kiss. The coffin was then closed and lowered into the ground, where it would stay until the end of time.

* * *

"Raaaaagghhh!" Azula shouted in fury, causing the fire in the torches beside her throne to burn furiously. "Kai, get in here!" Almost instantly, the young man entered the room. He kneeled before the Fire Princess, aware that he was to be punished.

"Tell me now," Azula said, her anger suddenly turning into an icy, false-calm. "How exactly did you let the Avatar and his friends escape?"

"We were outnumbered, your majesty," Kai replied. "They managed to send a few through without losing their advantage."

"You have greatly dissapointed me, Lieutenant." Azula said coldly.

"Please, Princess," begged Kai. "Give me one more chance. I swear, I shall not let you down."

"Very well. Since you have proven very useful thus far, I give you one more chance. However, if you should fail, there will be dire consequences."

"I'm listening," said Kai.

"I have a plan to kill two of our most formidable foes," Azula said. "Their names are Sokka and Ty Lee."

* * *

"Well, I think its time we went back to the hideout," Pipsqueak said to Smellerbee and Longshot after the funeral. "We need to go back to fight off the Fire Nation."

"You two should stay with the Avatar, though," Sneers interjected. "They could really use the help, especially at a time like this." The five Freedom Fighters said their farewells and went into their two separate groups. Meanwhile, the others were helping themselves to some of the available food. Everyone except Sokka. He was sitting near the wall of the temple, still in shock from Suki's death.

"What's up with Sokka?" Ty Lee asked Katara.

"He's really hurt from Suki's death," Katara said. "It'll take a while for him to get over this."

"Oh my God," said Aang. "He's not eating. This must be even worse than we thought."

"He'll be okay eventually. Trust me," stated Katara, though she did not sound too sure herself. Soon, everyone began piling onto Appa's back preparing to leave.

"So, where do we go from here?" Toph asked as she boarded the massive bison.

"Well, I have to find my mother," said Zuko, remembering his Uncle's letter.

"We'll come along, too." Katara said. "Aang needs you to teach him firebending, and Appa can help you get there faster."

"Then it's settled. We're off to the White Lotus Headquarters." Aang declared. By this point, everyone except Aang, Katara and Sokka had boarded Appa and was ready to take off. Aang and Katara had noticed that Sokka was still sitting by the wall, and went over to speak with him.

"Sokka, you haven't spoken since… what happened," Katara said to Sokka. "Talk to us so we can help you."

"Alright," Sokka said. "Why didn't you use the Avatar State?"

"What?" asked Aang dumbly, though he knew where Sokka was going with it.

"You heard me," Sokka replied. "You told me in Ba Sing Se that you had mastered the Avatar State. Why didn't you use it to protect Suki?"

"You can't blaim Aang for this!" Katara interjected sternly. "It wasn't his fault what happened!"

"Yes it was," Aang said remorsefully. "The truth is, I never mastered the avatar spirit. I left before I could finish training."

"So, it's your fault that the woman I love is dead," said Sokka.

"I had no choice!" Aang shouted angrily. It was either your girlfriend, or your sister." Sokka said nothing after this. He mearly stayed sitting by the temple, his teary eyes barely open. Eventually, he got up and boarded Appa.

* * *

"Princess, do you have need of me?" Long Feng said as he entered the Great Hall.

"Yes I do," Azula responded. "Tell me, do you have news of Kai's mission. I haven't heard from him since he left 6 hours ago."

"Well, we have news, but nothing too exciting," replied Long Feng. "He just reported that the Avatar is nowhere to be found."

"I guess I will have to take matters into my own hands," Azula said, "I expect you will watch over Ba Sing Se while I am gone."

"As you wish, your majesty," Long Feng said.

"I will leave in the morning. You will take over then," Azula said, ushering Long Feng to leave. "And remember, I will have Fire Nation soldiers guarrding you every second, in case you try to betray me and assist the Earth Kingdom. Let's hope that does not happen.

* * *

It was dark, and the group decided to camp out for the night in the woods. One by one, everyone got off of Appa and set down their equipment to make camp. While the others set up, Aang and Katara went to practice waterbending. 

"You're doing pretty good, Aang," Katara complimented as Aang successfully altered the direction of the nearby stream. "There's only one thing left for you to learn. Its called the ice tornado." Katara proceeded to go through the steps. Afterward Aang copied what Katara did. First he summoned the water from the stream and bended ir into a whirlpool. He turned the whirlpool to ice, and shot icicles in akk directions. The icicles chopped through some of the nearby trees, and even smashed through rocks.

"Great job, Aang!" Katara said. "You've mastered Waterbending.

"Well, I had a great teacher," Aang said. Soon, their lips were locked in a loving kiss. When they separated, each had a distraught look on their face.

"Um, Aang?" Katara asked nervously. "What did you mean when you talked to Sokka before. You said you had to choose between saving Suki, or me?" Aang sighed. He clearly did not want to answer this question.

"Okay the truth is," Aang began, a story ensuing. "Back at the Eastern Air Temple, Guru Pathik told me that in order to master the Avatar State, I had to let go of my earthly attachments. I had to let go of you." He paused. "I tried to let go, until I had a vision of you, trapped in the Crystal Catacombs. The Guru told me that if I left, I wouldn't be able to use the Avatar State at all. But I left anyway. That's why Suki's dead."

"I can't believe it," Katara stated. "It's because of your attachment to me that you can't use the Avatar State."

"Katara, I-" Aang began to say. He stopped speaking when he realized he didn't know what to say.

"I need some time to think about this," Katara said. "You go back, I just need some time alone," Aang walked back to camp, a gloomy expression on his face.

"So, how did your lesson go?" Toph asked, sensing Aang's slow, depressing movements.

"Oh, it went great," Aang said with fake-enthusiasm. He flashed a phony smile for the others. "I'm now a master waterbender."

"That's great," Smellerbee said. "Now we're one step closer to taking back the Earth Kingdom." Everyone agreed that this was good news. However, Toph could tell from his breathing and pulse that Aang's lesson didn't go as perfectly as he had claimed. She decided not to bring it up at the moment.

"Aang, can I talk to you for a minute? Katara asked Aang after coming back to camp. She pulled him away to talk in private.

"What is it, Katara?" Aang asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about what you said," Katara said, letting out a deep sigh. "I really don't want be the reason you can't enter the avatar state."

"But Katara, the chakra's already been locked." Aang stated "I won't be able to master the Avatar State whether I'm with you or not."

"Well," Katara said. "Until we know that for sure, I think we should stop seeing so much of each other." By this point, both Aang and Katara were completely depressed. They exchanged one final kiss that lasted for what seemed like hours. At last they parted, and began to walk back to camp.

"What's going on with you and Aang?" Toph asked as Katara entered camp. "You both seem really depressed. Did you two break up or something?" Katara didn't respond and merely lowered her head in grief. "Oh," Toph said in realization.

"Well, we sort of broke up, except that we were never actually together."

"Come on Katara, I'll help you through this." Toph said, when Zuko ran up to them.

"We have a problem," Zuko said to the girls. He walked them to the beach. "Sokka's not eating."

"This is getting serious," said Aang.

"Come on. Eat!" Ty Lee shouted, while trying to shove a fish in Sokka's mouth. "Why won't you eat?"

"Well, it might be partly because that fish is still alive," Mai stated sarcastically. Ty Lee dropped the fish, and it began flopping around on the beach.

"Sokka," Katara said to her brother, assuming a comforting tone. "I know why you're doing this. It's because you miss Suki. But we all miss her. You don't have to do this to yourself."

"Please Katara, don't talk down to me," Sokka said coldly. "I'm the older brother, I should be the one helping you."

"Sokka, just because I'm your younger sister, doesn't mean I can't help you when you need it. We all want to help you, Sokka, so let us." Sokka remained silent. "Do you think this is what Suki wants? For you to starve yourself?"

"Well what can I do?" Sokka shouted. "I don't know what life will be like without Suki. I'm not sure I can live without her."

"You can, Sokka," Katara said calmly. "I know you can. I may not have known Suki quite as well as you, but I knew her enough to know she would have wanted you to move on with your life. Just let us help you." Sokka said nothing for a while, until he finally spoke.

"Give me that fish," he commanded. Ty Lee picked up the fish and handed it to Sokka, which he took a big bite out of.

"Um, Sokka, that fish was still alive, you know," Aang said awkwardly. Instantly, Sokka spat out what he had bitten off and scrubbed off his tongue with his hand. Everyone laughed. It seemed that that everybody was cheerful once again. Everybody except for Aang and Katara.


	9. The Second Airbender

Chapter 9: The Second Airbender

Aang let out a deep sigh as lied down on Appa's soft, furry back. He gazed up at the beautiful onyx sky, which was decorated with ivory stars. The gang had been traveling for a long time, and Aang was feeling drowsier with each passing minute. He knew he couldn't fall asleep, though. He was the only one still awake and he had to steer Appa. Eventually, he fell back and drifted into a deep slumber. This was repeated by Appa, who closed his enormous eyes, let out an earth-shaking yawn, and began falling to the earth below.

"Wake up boy!" Aang shouted to his bison, having been woken up by the fall.

"It's not working," Toph said. "This is bad. At this speed, this will be one bad fall." Everyone braced for impact as Appa neared ever closer to the ground. Finally, Appa crashed directly into the ground. Everyone managed to stay planted firmly on Appa's back, except for Sokka and Aang. Sokka had fallen flat on his face, though it seemed nothing was injured besides his pride. Aang, on the other hand, had fallen on his head and seemed to be seriously injured. His eyes began to go fuzzy, until he blacked out and his body went limp. He was unconscious.

It was a few hours before Aang woke up. As his eyes opened, he immediately saw the furry face of Momo directly in front of his face, severely startling him. As he calmed down, he noticed the figures of Sokka, Toph, Mai, and Longshot standing over him, along with a person he didn't recognize. He was a young man, about 15 or 16, with pale gold eyes and a coolie hat.

"Who-" Aang asked weakly, "Who are you?

"My name's Rong," he explained. "I saw your bison crash, so I came to see what was going."

"He just got here a few minutes ago," Toph said. She then turned her attention to Rong. "So, what brings you here in the middle of nowhere?"

"I'm looking for my family," said Ling. "I've heard that they're living at the Western Air Temple." This shocked everyone.

"Wait, so you're-" Aang began, clearly stunned. The boy pulled off his coolie hat, revealing a completely bald head, marked with a blue arrow extending from his forehead down to his back.

"I'm an airbender, yes," explained Rong. "My parents left with my adoptive father when I was very young. About 2 years ago, he fell ill. The medics in our village said he was going to die. Before he died, he told me that I was an airbender, and that my real parents were in hiding at the Western Air Temple. I've been traveling ever since."

"How do we know if you're for real?" Sokka asked skeptically. Instantly, Rong sent out a strong gust of wind, which caused Sokka to fall over and land flat on his face.

"Why does that keep happening to me!?" Sokka shouted in frustration. He was convinced though.

"You mean there are airbenders at the Western Air Temple!" exclaimed Aang. "We have to go!"

"Wait," Smellerbee interjected. "What about the Order?"

"Oh, God," Aang said. "I hadn't thought about that. I guess we'll have to split up. Zuko, you can take Appa, while we can travel by foot."

"No way," Zuko disagreed. "You have a much longer distance to travel, and more people. You go on Appa, I can go by foot.

"I'm coming with you," said Mai.

"Are you sure?" Zuko asked her. "It's just going to be us, in fire nation territory."

"I'm more than capable of protecting my self," Mai said defensively. She pulled out a throwing star and held it in front of Zuko's face. "Do you want me to prove it?"

"No, that's not necessary," Zuko said nervously. As Zuko and Mai left for the Order, Ty Lee grabbed them for an enormous hug, much to their annoyance.

"Well, we have to get going," Rong stated impatiently. The groups exchanged good byes and went their separate ways.

* * *

"So, have you found the Avatar and his friends yet?" Kai asked into a microphone

"Affirmative," a scratchy voice replied. "I have made contact with them."

"Remember, your top priority is the water tribe boy. If they still remain ignorant, then you may attack the others."

"I am completely aware of the plan, ad I assure you, you have nothing to worry about."

"Remember, my fate and yours depend on this, so do not mess up."

"I will not fail you, Lieutenant,"

* * *

The sky was getting brighter as the sun rose into the sky over the travelers. Once aboard Appa, Aang and Katara made an effort to remain as distant as they could from each other. Though they were still friends, they still found it too confusing and awkward to be near each other. They barely spoke, nor did they speak even in close proximity of the other.

Longshot and Smellerbee were walking hand in hand, Longshot running his fingers through her hair. In recent weeks, Smellerbee, had let her hair grow out, making her look more feminine. Though this made her look more attractive, it had diminished her warrior-like appearance in the least. In fact, if anything it had made her look even more threatening.

For some reason, Sokka was having trouble keeping his eyes off of Ty Lee. _I never noticed how beautiful she is, _he thought. He observed how her tight half-shirt showed off her elegant figure, and her beautiful smile which made everything all his disappear. Then the image of Suki flashed into his head. He saw images of her death. _No, I can't think of this right now, not with what happened to Suki._

"Hey, what's up Sokka?" Rong asked after the group had found a resting place by a running stream. It already seemed that Sokka and Rong were going to be good friends. Sokka was relaxing on a log overlooking the stream, when he got up after hearing Rong speak.

"Not much, just thinking," Sokka replied.

"About that hot Fire Nation chick with the belly shirt?" Rong asked him.

"Sort of," Sokka replied. "How'd you know?"

"Well, you were staring at her the whole way up here," he explained. "A blind person would've noticed it."

"So, what's your point?" asked Sokka.

"Ask her out." Rong stated simply.

"No. I can't," Sokka replied, a solemnity entering his voice. "I've just lost the love of my life, a I don't think I'm ready yet. Especially for her."

"Your choice, man," said Rong. "Just remember my advice." He then turned the other direction and began to walk back to the others. Sokka then followed his lead by followed him back. Before he left, he cast one glance back at the river. As if the invisible figure of Suki was sitting on the log, her beautiful brunette hair flowing in the wind and her pale white face shining in the warmth of the sun.

* * *

It had been hours since Zuko and Mai had left for the Order of The White Lotus. Though the journey had not worn Zuko in the slightest, as he was used to long journeys, Mai was beginning to grow weary from the endless hiking. Together, they sat by a tree while Mai rested her fatigued legs.

"So, why did you want to come along with me?" Zuko asked Mai, who was sitting right next to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, I wanted to be with you," Mai explained. "And I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"You know, I haven't seen you like this in a long time," Zuko commented. "So, happy,"

"Yeah," Mai agreed. "It's been a rough two years without you." Both of their minds flashed back to a time long ago, before Zuko's exile.

_It was two years ago. Zuko was fourteen years old, and Mai was thirteen. It was Zuko's last day at home before his exile. His scar was freshly formed, and it looked even worse than it does today._

"_It's your final day at home, Zuzu," Azula commented with a grin. "Bet you wish you kept your mouth shut in that court room, don't you?" Zuko felt a surge of anger and resentment, which lightened when he saw Mai come before him._

"_So it's true then?" she asked. "You're being exiled?" Zuko gave a silent nod in the affirmative. Azula gave Zuko a triumphant look, before leaving the room. This was the last time he would see his sister for two years._

"_I can't believe it," The young Mai stated in disbelief. In the sadness, Zuko gave Mai a passionate kiss on the mouth. Mai had her arms wrapped around Zuko's neck, while Zuko had his hands on her waist. They had stayed like this for many minutes, knowing that this was the last they would see of each other for a very long time. At last, they broke apart, and Zuko bade Mai farewell before leaving the palace to accept his fate._

* * *

It was nighttime, and the sky was full of stars. By this time, most of the group had fallen asleep. Ty Lee was resting peacefully on a clump of soft grass. Toph was lying on a hard rock, which she had changed into the shape of a mattress. Longshot and Smellerbee were cuddling by a nearby tree. Everyone seemed to be asleep, except for Aang and Katara.

"Hey Aang?" Katara asked awkwardly. The two had barely exchanged two words since what had happened the prior week. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She led him into the nearby wood.

"What's up?" questioned Aang.

"Well, I'm not sure about this Rong guy," Katara explained.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, clearly relieved at the change of topic.

"It's just that, his story doesn't add up," explained Katara. "I mean, if he just found out he was an airbender two years ago, and he hasn't seen any others since, how could he have mastered bending and earned the arrows?"

"Maybe he had the arrows when he was at the Air Temple," Aang said, unwilling to accept he was still the last of his kind. "Even if he just painted them on himself, you can't deny that he's an airbender, even if he isn't a master. You saw him bending."

"But how do you know he was really airbending?" Katara countered. She remembered how the air had seemed darker than usual at that time.

"You know what I think!" Aang shouted, his anger rising with every word. "You don't want there to be other airbenders. You think that if I go off with Rong and the other airbenders, you'll be stuck back with your boring little life at the South Pole!"

"Aang, you know that's not true," Katara said calmly, despite Aang's offensive comment. She wanted to go back home more than anything, to be with her family. "Think and you'll see my point. How could airbenders have survived 100 years unnoticed, especially so close to the Fire Nation as the Western Air Temple?" Instead of responding, Aang mearly walked back to camp.

"Wuzgoinon?" Sokka asked groggily. He had clearly been woken up by Aang's shouting. However, both Aang and Katara went to sleep, without uttering a sound. They hadn't noticed that one person was not asleep with them. Rong was nowhere to be found.

Drowsily, Sokka got up to get a drink of water from a nearby river. As he walked into the wood, he heard a far-off voice coming from near the river. When he got closer however, he saw only one figure, instead of the two he was expecting. The figure, who he recognized to be Rong, was speaking into a receiver.

"The plan is going perfectly," Sokka could hear him say. "But best of all, it appears that the key to the plan is standing right in my midst." He turned ominously to Sokka, who was startled by Rong's strange behavior.

"Rong, what's going on?" Sokka asked nervously. Slowly Rong walked closer to him until he could literally feel the warrior's nervous breathing. Sokka reached for his machete, but before his hand could even reach for the cold weapon, he felt an unbearable pain in his chest. He had been stabbed, yet he could see no blood. Suddenly, he went numb, and his muscles became limp. He crashed to the ground, and his eyes closed.

Hours passed.

"Where's Sokka?" Katara asked frantically. It was morning and everyone had woken up.

"He's not here," Smellerbee responded. "Neither is Rong."

"Oh no," Katara said to herself. "Everyone, search the area!"

"That won't be necessary," Toph chimed in. "Sokka's only about 50 yards away. He's by the river. I can't tell where Rong is, though." Instantly, they all ran into the wood and came to the river. Here they found Sokka taking a drink from the river. He didn't have a single scratch on him. It was as if his run-in with Rong had never happened. Katara came over him a throttling hug.

"What happened? We thought you were missing," Katara said, still sounding worried.

"Chill out Katara, I was just getting some water," Sokka replied casually, apparently unaware that he had been gone for eight hours. He looked through the group and noticed that they were one down. "Where's R-?" This question was cut short when he saw Zuko carrying a wounded Mai to the group.

"What happened?" Katara asked as Zuko set Mai down so she could be healed.

"We were attacked by someone. We couldn't see their face, though they seemed like they were in a hurry," explained Zuko. Katara put her hand over Mai's back and summoned her bending water. Instantly, the water gained a white glow, and Mai was healed.

"It was lucky we hadn't gotten too far," Zuko said. Everyone nodded except Aang. What would have been lucky would be if they had managed to catch Rong. If only he had listened to Katara. Aang had realized that he was the last airbender, and he always would be.

Soon, the group had packed up their supplies, and was ready to board Appa. Sokka and Ty Lee were walking hand in hand onto the bison. Before he left, Sokka gave one glance back. For a moment, Sokka's whole eyes turned black. Almost as quickly as they had changed, they changed back. Because of this, no one had noticed it. He then turned around and boarded the bison as if everything was fine. But it wasn't.


	10. Trouble with Sokka

* * *

A/N: Well, halfway through the story! I wasn't even sure I'd make it this far. I hope you like reading this chapter, since I sure liked writing it. Please Review!

* * *

Chapter 10: Trouble with Sokka

"Tell me, Kai," Azula's voice emanated from a two-way radio, which was held in the palm of Kai's hand. "How did your mission go? Respectably, I hope?" It was the dead of night, and no one from the nearby village would be able to see them. In a clearing of the forest stood Kai and Rong.

"Very respectable, your majesty," Kai responded. "Though my brother couldn't succeed in capturing the Avatar, Sokka has been successfully infected."

"But that's not all," interjected Rong. "I also learned that the Avatar and his friends are headed for The Order of the White Lotus Headquarters."

"I see," Azula said with interest. "Why would they do that?"

"I found a letter explaining everything." Rong stated. He then recited the letter that he held word-for-word.

"This is great news," Azula said happily. Though she sounded cheerful, she still possessed the same icy tone that struck fear down even the bravest man's spine. "Now I know the location of two fugitives. You have done well, Rong. And you too, Kai." Both expressed gratitude at the princess's unusually kind words. "Your plan was brilliant, Kai. Bending smoke from fire and passing it off as airbending is brilliant.

"Now listen carefully." Azula continued. "I want you to leave immediately for the Order of the White Lotus. They must be captured before they make contact with my mother."

"Will you be joining us, your highness?" Kai asked.

"Not right away. There is a certain fugitive that I must capture, now that I know his location. I will join you at the Order. Remember, I must meet the Grand Master before my brother does."

"Don't worry, your majesty," said Rong. "We won't let you down,"

* * *

"I had a great time," Ty Lee said to Sokka. They were both walking hand in hand along the rocky shores of the lake pm on their bare feet. It was almost sunset, and it was becoming harder for either of them to see each other's faces. 

"Well it's not over yet," Sokka responded. "We still have the sunset to see." Both of them walked over to the lake and sat on the sandy shore, their feet in the cold water. Ty Lee rested her head on his shoulder and waited for the sun to set. As the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Sokka and Ty Lee moved closer together. Sokka looked into her beautiful dark eyes and went in for a kiss. Before his lips could reach hers though, something happened to Sokka.

_It's her fault. It's because of her that she's dead. She killed her. She must be stopped._

Instantly, Sokka's eyes became darker, until they were as black as the midnight sky. The soft expression of his face turned fierce, and his skin turned ghostly white.

"Sokka, are you okay?" Ty Lee asked concernedly. Suddenly, Sokka took her by the shirt and threw her to the ground. He grabbed her by her hair and was about to throw her into the lake when a gust of air knocked them apart.

"Sokka, What are you doing?" Aang shouted as he rushed over to hold him back from Ty Lee. After this point, Sokka had no clue what he was doing. His vision went black, and he felt powerless. Then suddenly, Sokka changed back. His eyes turned their usual blue, his skin darkened, and he regained control of his actions.

However, the damage was already done. Mai was consoling Ty Lee multiple yards away. Aang, Zuko, and Longshot were still holding Sokka. However, Toph was strangely missing. Everyone there had a grave look on their face.

"What have I done?" Sokka asked in disbelief.

"Well, you nearly killed Ty Lee!" Zuko shouted. "And then Aang and Longshot had to stop you from killing Mai and me." Sokka was in a state of shock. How could he do these things to anyone? And how could he do it without even knowing it?"

"I don't know how this could happen," Sokka explained. "One minute, I was completely normal, and the next..." He turned to speak to Ty Lee. "I'm so sorry, Ty Lee. You know I never meant to hurt you." Ty Lee didn't respond. She merely turned her tear-stained face away from Sokka and buried her face in her legs. She was unable to look at him.

"I think we should all get to sleep," Katara interjected. "We're all just tired, and that could be why we're doing strange things." One by one, everyone began walking back to camp.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Smellerbee asked Katara, while walking beside her.

"No, I don't," Katara answered. "But it's all we have. Let's just hope that this will never happen again." At last they were out of view from Sokka and Ty Lee, who had not yet left. The two of them did not exchange a word on their walk to camp.

* * *

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" 

"So many questions. You make it seem as if _I'm_ at _your _will. But no matter. I'm looking for a man, a man whom I hear has just taken residence here."

"You're not looking for my husband-"

"Please, I have no need for your filthy little mate."

"Then, who is it you want?"

"He is a man that you and have been caring for. You and your little clan."

"I have been given orders not to turn him over to anyone, especially people like you."

"You discourteous hen! How dare you speak to me like that! If you do not hand him over, I will have to take him by force."

"Don't you take one more step!"

"Step out of the way, woman. I don't want to hurt you too."

"Don't you dare!"

"Out of the way!"

"No, Azula!"

* * *

Sokka had very little sleep the night before. All he could think about was Ty Lee. Even when he did get sleep, he was having strange dreams. In these dreams he could recognize the voices of Ty Lee and Suki. However, there was one voice that, though it was very familiar, Sokka could not identify it. 

"Sokka, you all right?" Aang asked. Sokka opened his eyes to see the bald monk standing over him, along with Katara and Toph. "Your face was ghostly white, and you were screaming."

"Must have been a bad dream," Sokka replied, though he knew full well there was more to it. He knew that these dreams were somehow related to what happened with him and Ty Lee.

"Well, we're leaving on Appa in five minutes, so pack your things," Katara said. Sokka did as he was told, and proceeded with packing his bags. He took his boomerang and his machete and stuck them into the pockets of his belt. He took his enormous sack of food and hung it over his shoulder, causing him to fall on his face.

Within minutes, Appa was up in the sky, with nine teenagers riding on his back. Though Aang and Katara were no longer avoiding each other, Sokka and Ty Lee were. Ty Lee was sitting at the back of the bison, her teary face buried in her lap. Toph, who was trying to rest, was becoming increasingly bothered by Ty Lee's constant wailing.

"Oh, suck it up!" Toph shouted at Ty Lee. Mai instantly bolted up from her seat to defend Ty Lee. "Your boyfriend hits you once, and you're acting like someone's dead."

"Don't talk to her like that!" shouted Mai. "You have no clue what she's going through. Then again, how could you?"

"That's me, innocent, blind, little Toph," Toph stated sarcastically. "Nothing bad ever happens to _me_, because I live in my own protective little bubble. _I've _never lost someone I love or anything,"

"Everyone be quiet!" Aang shouted over the arguing girls. "I know everyone's tense right now, but if you can just keep your fricken mouths shut for more than 10 minutes, we'll all get along just fine. Got it?" No one spoke after this, clearly for fear of another outburst by Aang.

After an hour of awkward silence, the bison reached its landing spot. One by one, the teenagers dismounted the massive bison. It was about two hours from sunset, and the group was rushing to finish setting up camp by nightfall.

"Alright, what happened?" Katara asked Toph. She had noticed Toph's strange behavior while riding Appa.

"What if I don't want to talk about it?" Toph snapped angrily, though this was what Katara was expecting. Toph always used anger to cover up her sadness.

"Toph, I can tell something's wrong. Did something happen to someone in your family?"

"I'm fine, now can you get off my back?"

"_Toph,_" Katara said sternly.

"Fine, I'll tell you," said Toph, "Yesterday, when you were all with Sokka and Ty Lee, I got a message from Gaoling,"

"Your hometown? What was it about?"

"The messenger told me that my mom was really sick. He said she might… he said she might die."

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry, Toph."

"Save it. I don't need the sympathy."

"Toph, you really should-" Katara began, before she was interrupted by Toph.

"I know what you're going say," Stated Toph. "You're going to tell me how it's 'okay to feel sad' or something,"

"I wasn't going to say that," Katara responded. "What I think is that you should be with her,"

"But Katara, I-"

"I know exactly where you're coming from, Toph, but not seeing your mom sick won't make her illness go away," Katara's tone became significantly softer at this point. "I never got to say goodbye to my mother before she died. The day of the fire nation raid, the warriors were outside fighting while Mom, Gran Gran, Sokka, and I had to stay in the tent. We were okay until a soldier made his way into the tent.

"The soldier grabbed my mother and pulled her out of the tent. That was the last time I ever saw her. After the battle, my dad came in and told us that mom was dead. It was the worst moment of my life.

"Your situation's different though. I wasn't able to say goodbye to my mom. But you have the opportunity to say goodbye to your mother. Toph, if you don't go, it may be the worst mistake of your life."

"Thank you Katara," was all Toph was able to say. "Master Yu is coming to pick me up tomorrow morning. I wasn't sure if I would go, but now I'm sure. Now let's just hope I can get back." Both girls laughed at the small joke, though Toph new in her heart there was some truth to it. Mr. And Mrs. Bei Fong were always extremely protective of her. The first time she left, her father sent a pair of thugs to come and retrieve her. If her mother died, it would be nearly impossible to escape.

Katara gave Toph a friendly hug, which was cut short by a high-pitched scream coming from camp. Both Toph and Katara ran back to camp. When they reached camp, they saw Longshot and Zuko holding back Sokka, who was baring his teeth and struggling to get out of their grip.

"Oh no, not again," said Katara.

"We can't hold him much longer," said Longshot. "He seems even more powerful than yesterday."

"Ty Lee, paralyze him!" Zuko shouted to Ty Lee. Ty Lee shook her red face vigorously, to scared to do anything,"

"Now Ty Lee!" Zuko repeated. "Your life's on the line!" Hesitantly, Ty Lee rose from the ground and hit Sokka with a few jabs. Instantly his arms and legs went limp, and he stopped moving.

"What can we do?" Aang asked. "I don't think this is going away on its own."

"I say we wait until we meet the Grand Master," stated Zuko. "I've heard from Uncle that the grand master is the only human being allowed in the Spirit Library of Wan Shi Tong, and that he has studied every tome in the building."

"But what do we do until then," asked Smellerbee.

"There's only one thing we can do for Ty Lee's safety," said Toph. "We freeze him. You up to it Katara, Aang?"

"If it's for Ty Lee's safety, then yes," Katara replied. Reluctantly, she took position, along with the Avatar. "I'm sorry, Sokka," she said, before encasing her brother in ice from the neck down.

At last, Sokka returned to normal. When he became his regular self, he felt a sudden cold sensation down his back. He then realized he was in a block of ice.

"What's going on?" He asked. Katara explained the entire situation rather gloomily, to which Sokka seemed surprisingly understanding.

"You had the right idea," Sokka said. "I shouldn't be trusted. I could hurt someone I really care about."

It was very late at night, and everyone in camp had fallen asleep except for Sokka. He was still encased in ice, and though he was very, tired, he could not sleep. Not only was the ice extremely uncomfortable, but he was also busy thinking about the pain he had caused.

Eventually, fatigue overpowered him, which he gave in to. He gave one last, sorrowful glance at Ty Lee before drifting into a cold, dreamless, sleep.

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Pleeeeeeze Review! I'm hoping to reach 30 reviews. (If I don't get them, I still continue writing, for those who read this story in March)

* * *

And now a word from my sponsor, UltimateBender77 (Which is me):

For those Harry Potter lovers out there, I suggest you read The Aftermath, by UltimateBender77 (Which is me) Here is a brief description:

**Takes place between The Deathly Hallows and the epilogue. This is the story of Harry Potter's life after Voldemort's downfall. What becomes of Harry and his friends? What happens with the surviving Death Eaters. HarryxGinny,RonxHermione,Some Minor Pairings**

**Rated T for Teens**

Sincerely,

UltimateBender77 (Which is me)


	11. The Grand Patriarch

Well, it's finally here! Sorry it took so long. I've been busy with vacation and getting ready for school. (Which for me starts in 2 days. Ugh!) Hope you like it! Please Review!

* * *

Chapter 11: The Grand Patriarch

"Good bye Toph," said Katara, giving Toph a friendly hug. "Give Mrs. Bei Fong my best wishes,"

"Alright Katara, don't get all sentimental on me now," Toph said. She had her bags all packed, and was waiting for Master Yu to pick her up. "I won't be gone for too long. Just long enough for my mom to recover."

"Good bye, Toph," said Sokka. He was still trapped in the ice, though he was beginning to fit back with the group, engaging in friendly conversation and discussing plans. "I hope your mother gets well soon."

"Thanks, Sokka. And, take care of yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Ty Lee when I get back." After saying good-bye to all of her friends, she turned around to see her former, slightly incompetent earthbending master, Master Yu, standing before her.

"I can see you're ready to go," Master Yu commented. "Now, please get into the wagon. Your parents are eager to see you again." Toph did as she was told and got into the wagon. She could tell that this was the same wagon he and Xin Fu had used to capture her the last time she had seen him. However, this time, Toph was not held captive in a metal cage, and instead she was sitting in the front seat next to Master Yu.

When the wagon was gone from view, Aang and the others mounted Appa's furry back. This included Sokka, who was only restrained by his upper body, allowing him to walk. The bison flew for many hours, until the sun finally began to set. As Toph was absent and Sokka was barely talking, no one was complaining about the long flight, which was unusual for the group.

"It's Mount Hemadri!" exclaimed Aang. "The Eastern Air Temple is right at the peak. That means the Order should be somewhere near the bottom." He then pulled on Appa's reigns, causing the bison to descend toward the mountain. Aang then searched the mountain until he found a small village on the south side. He pulled on the reigns once again to bring Appa to the ground.

When the children entered Hanoriko, they were alarmed to see that the village was much more populated than they had imagined. Not only were there dozens upon dozens of citizens and tourists, but there were also shops and markets at every corner.

"Hey, check this out!" exclaimed Aang to Katara. He was looking at a calendar on display in a shop, with the date July 9th circled. Katara ran over to Aang to see what Aang was looking at.

"What is it, Aang?" Katara asked.

"Today's July 9th. It's my 13th birthday!" Aang shouted. Aang's enthusiasm turned to solemnity when realization dawned on him. "This is my first birthday without the Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders."

"I'm so sorry Aang," responded Katara. "But at least you have all of us. We're all here for you."

"Thanks Katara, that means a lot. It's just going to be really hard to deal with. Every birthday, Monk Gyatso I would make a dozen fruit pies, and then we would launch them at the monks' heads." A tear came to his I as he recalled these fond memories. "I can't believe it will never happen again. I'm never going to spend my birthdays with Gyatso again, annoying the monks and laughing." His story was interrupted by Zuko's voice.

"Here it is," stated Zuko. He was standing before a man at a Pai Sho table. Behind this man was a building, which had the image of a lotus flower on the near wall.

"Welcome, stranger," the suspicious man said. "Might I interest you in a game?"

"Certainly," Zuko replied. Zuko placed his first piece, the lotus tile his uncle had given him, in the center of the board.

"The white lotus tile," commented the man. "Very interesting." He then placed his piece in one corner of the board. The two of them exchanged turns until the pieces took the shape of a flower. Both men stood up and bowed to each other.

"What's going on?" Smellerbee asked, but Longshot put his index finger to her own mouth, indicating for Smellerbee to keep quiet as they watched the strange scene unfold.

"Welcome, Prince Zuko, nephew of Grand Master Iroh," said the man. "The White Lotus opens wide to you and your friends." Suddenly, the petals of the wall lotus began to spin around and vanish beneath the center of the flower, which in turn swung open, revealing a doorway.

"What the hell-" Sokka began, but was hushed by Katara. One by one, the Avatar Team entered through the porthole that was hidden behind the flower, led by Zuko.

"There it is!" exclaimed Aang, noticing a door at the end of the hallway. He then began running toward the door, unaware of the danger that lied ahead.

"Watch out, Aang!" Zuko shouted, bringing Aang to stop in his tracks. This sudden movement caused the ground at his feet to split open. This chasm resonated with an enormous amount of light. Losing his balance Aang stumbled and found himself falling into the bright abyss. Aang thought he was going to die, until he felt a warm, smooth hand grab his.

"Aang, don't let go!" Katara shouted. With much effort, Katara managed to pull Aang up from the wretched void, causing both of them to fall backward to the ground. Both of them brushed of the dirt from their clothing and got back on their feet.

"What do think is down there?" Katara asked, still looking down at the mysterious chasm.

"Nothing good, I'd bet," stated Zuko. "Uncle Iroh tells me that what lies at the bottom of the chasm is a fate worse than death." This statement sent a chill down Aang's spine. To think, he almost fell into the wretched abyss. "I was trying to warn you, the Order uses lots of defense mechanisms to prevent intruders. My uncle tells me that the main hallway uses incredibly powerful mirrors. I don't think there's really a door over there, just a reflection."

"That means the real doorway is somewhere around here." Mai stated. As the other seven searched the walls for an opening, Sokka leaned on the wall in relaxation, too exhausted to search. However, where he expected his back to hit the wall he just kept going and going until he hit the ground.

"There it is!" Katara exclaimed, pointing at the path that Sokka had fallen in to, mistaking it for a wall. The seven teenagers walked through the passageway, followed by Sokka, who was suffering from a severe backache. (A/N: Thank God the ice was right there.) Sure enough, when they reached the end of the hallway, they found themselves standing before two great, golden doors with a lotus symbol on the front.

* * *

"This isn't some sorry attempt to capture me again, is it?" Toph asked as she and Master Yu rode along the winding mountain trail. "You've already tried using my mom against me last time, and I would think you were smarter then trying it again."

"Of course not," replied Yu, "After your last escape, your parents requested Xin Fu and I stop tracking you down. They realized you were with the Avatar by choice, not by force."

"Well finally," commented Toph. "I was beginning to think they'd never understand."

"What are you talking about?" Yu asked. "Didn't you get your mothers letter?"

"She really wrote that? I thought you wrote that to try and bring me back home."

"That's not true. Your mother originally intended to visit Ba Sing Se, but she fell ill and wasn't able to come. Xin Fu had found the letter and decided to use it to catch you."

"So you're saying that my mother's been sick for an entire month?" Toph asked in concern. "You said it wasn't serious!"

"I admit, I wasn't telling the whole truth when I said that," admitted Master Yu. "However, I do not believe Mrs. Bei Fong is fatal-"

"Please, don't say it," interrupted Toph. "All that matters now is that I'm going to see my mother again."

* * *

As the eight adolescents entered the Hall of the Grand Patriarch, they were filled with awe and wonder. The room was made entirely of the finest marble with a statue in the center depicting the first Grand Patriarch, Toghan Zhu. The walls were adorned with golden picture frames, holding portraits of each of the 286 Grand Patriarch, until they reached the north wall, which held the one's portrait. Sitting on a luxurious wooden throne in front of the painting, was the man they were most eager to meet.

"I've been expecting you," An elderly man said. He had a long, white beard that reached down to his upper torso, and dark, tanned skin. He wwas drest head to toe in flowing robes, decorated with jewels in the shape of lotus flowers. He seemed vaguely familiar to Aang, though he couldn't quite figure out who he was.

"Welcome, Avatar and friends." The Grand Patriarch continued, coming down from his throne and giving each of them a firm handshake. "It is nice to meet each of you. Though you Aang, I have met once before."

"Where did we-" Aang began, when suddenly he remembered. His mind turned back to about a month ago, at the top of this very mountain. "Guru Pathik?"

"Yes, it is I," exclaimed Pathik.

"You look completely different. And your accent-"

"A façade, yes. I use that accent as a cover when I go out in public. And as for the clothes, it's amazing what a bunch of robes can do for a person. But all things aside, I believe you have business for me, do you not?"

"Yes we do," replied Zuko. "I need to know the location of my mother, and Sokka needs psychological help." Sokka desired so much to hit Zuko in the arm for his comment but couldn't, as his arms were frozen to his body.

"And, if it weren't too much trouble, I was hoping I could try to master the Avatar State one more time." Instantly, both he and Katara became somber. They knew that when Aang had finished, he would have no feelings for Katara whatsoever, and the two them would be no more than friends, if that even.

"Very well, I will train you once more. However, all three of you have intense work ahand I want you to have a good night's sleep before we begin. I will call on you separately in the morning. Right now, the guards will show you to your sleeping quarters. Until then, pleasant dreams, and good luck on the tasks ahead.

* * *

"You called me in, Master Pathik?" Zuko asked, entering the room.

"Yes," Grand Patriarch Pathik responded. "Take a seat if you wish." Zuko took a seat next to the Guru. "Now, I bet you are wondering where your mother is, correct?" Zuko nodded. "Well, Grand Mistress Ursa currently resides at the peak of Mt. Kuma. There's a village Fire Nation deserters there."

"So, is that it?" asked Zuko. "You said that all three of us would have intense work."

"Yes, but your intense work is the journey itself. Mount Kuma is one of the most dangerous mountains the world over. The journey itself can be murderous without proper preparation."

"But, how do you know if I'm ready for this journey?" Zuko asked worriedly. "I haven't had any training."

"You have traveled for 3 years, one of those by foot, correct?" Zuko nodded. "Well, that has been your training. I have faith that you can do it. And if you ever have doubts, remember the reward that awaits you at the end."

"But, how will I know how to get there?"

"A map will do just fine. Now please, send Sokka in." Zuko went up the stairs and headed back to the room in which he and the others were staying.

"You're up, Sokka," he said. Once Sokka had exited the room, Zuko took a seat next to Mai, who was the only person in the room at the time.

"How'd it go?" she asked, taking Zuko's hand. "Do you know where your mother is?"

"Yes," responded Zuko. "She's in a village at the peak of Mt. Kuma.

"Mt. Kuma? You're joking right?" Zuko shook his head in the negative. "Well, if you're going to Mount Kuma, then I'm coming with you."

"Mai, you have any idea how dangerous this is? People die trying to scale the mountain. I love you too much to let you risk your life for me."

"I love you too, and that's why I'm not letting you go alone."

* * *

"Ah, welcome." Pathik said as Sokka entered the room. "Please, have a seat." Sokka took a sea next to the Grand Patriarch, who was sitting high up on his wooden throne. "So, from what I can tell, your problem is that there is a person that you really care for, but when you get near this person, you attack them."

"Yeah, how did you know that?" asked Sokka.

"I can see it in your face. You are wrapped with guilt and shame over your actions, something more powerful then if you had hurt an innocent stranger. Yet somewhere, deep inside of you, you feel that this person deserves pain." Sokka said nothing. He hated the feeling that he actually wanted to hurt Ty Lee. "Now tell me, is this person someone you love?"

"Well, not love exactly," Sokka explained.

"But you do have feelings for this girl?" Pathik questioned. Sokka nodded. "Is this girl Fire Nation?" Again, Sokka nodded. "And, have you lost anyone, to the Fire Nation, perhaps recently?" He nodded once more. "Was it someone you loved?

"Yes. Her name was Suki, and she was the love of my life. We had just began dating when she was killed by the fire nation."

"I see," said the guru. "I could say that you feel that it was the girl that killed Suki, and that is why you are after her, but I think it is more complicated than that."

"So what exactly do we do now?" asked Sokka. However, Pathik did not respond, and instead led Sokka up the stairs into a hallway. When they reached the end of this hallway, Sokka opened the door to find himself at the top of Mt. Hemadri, inside the Eastern Air Temple.

Though Sokka didn't know it, he was in the exact same spot that Aang had first had his failed training with Guru Pathik. The full moon was shining bright in the sky as if it were there to watch Sokka's training.

"Today, you will be going on a spiritual journey." Pathik explained.

"Do you mean figuratively or literally?" Sokka questioned. However, Pathik once again fell silent. "Am I going to the spirit world? Will I be a spirit myself? Am I going to see Suki?"

"You will have your answers shortly." Pathik explained. "Now, I would like you to sit in meditative position." Sokka did as he was told, and sat down, preparing himself for his coming vision quest. "Now close your eyes, and think about Suki, and about Ty Lee. Meditate on your troubles." As the guru said this, Sokka found his voicer becoming harder to hear, and his own body becoming lighter. Eventually, he could not hear the Grand Patriarch's voice, and he began hearing new voices, though he could not make out what they were saying. The light was so bright around him that he could not see. Eventually, the air cleared, and Sokka could make out the figures of two of his lost loves. Suki and Yue.

* * *

"What's with Sokka?" asked Aang as he end Master Pathik entered the Air Temple.

"Sokka is in the Spirit World." Pathik explained. "He is conversing with Suki and Yue and trying to get to the root of his problems. The reason he attacks Ty Lee not just because he that she indirectly killed Suki, but because he felt guilty about falling for someone so soon after Suki's death. He had felt the same way with Suki after Yue's death.

"Wait, who did Sokka fall for, and what does that have to do with Ty Lee?" Aang asked in confusion.

"You will find out soon enough, I expect. Sokka shouldn't be your concern right now, however. We have work to do."

"Okay, but before we start, I have one question. If it's so important to love, then come I'm supposed to give up Katara?"

"Oh my dear boy, I'm so sorry," The guru apologized, hugely confusing Aang. "I'm sorry I made you think you had to give up on love."

"What? You told my I had to let go of my attachment to Katara,"

"Yes, your attachment, not your love. You are allowed to love, it is Important however, that you do not let love cloud your judgment. If you were to choose between saving Katara and saving the world, you _must_ choose the second. And if anything should happen to Katara, you may mourn, but do not let it affect your quest to defeat the Fire Lord."

"So you're saying I can master the Avatar State without losing Katara? That's incredible!" Overwhelmed with joy, Aang went through the same procedure as last time, and soon found himself become weightless.

_He was standing on a bridge of light. The sky around him was dark, and he felt almost weightless. He saw an enormous Avatar Spirit stand before him at the end of the bridge. He then began his walk toward the avatar spirit._

* * *

"How long have we been sitting here?" Ty Lee asked, sitting against the wall. She, Ty Lee, Smellerbee, Longshot, and Momo were waiting outside of the Grand Hall, with dull looks on their faces.

"About an hour," Smellerbee answered, looking at her pocket watch. "But it feels more like five."

"I wish we had something to do," said Ty Lee. She then looked to Momo for something, who shook his little head and purred, indicating he was out of ideas.

"I'm gonna go look around for a little while," said Katara, who got up and began wandering the halls of the palace. As she turned a corner, she grumbled under her breath, "So bored."

"Well, let's see if we can change that." Said Kai who pulled her out of sight and put his hand over her mouth.

* * *

_The walk seemed totake forever as Aang traveled the bridge of light. He saw the stars pass by him, though the Avatar Spirit seemed no closer. After a while, he heard Katara's voice crying for help. He saw her being captured and tied up by Kai and Rong, she was flailing er arms and kicking, but nothing seemed to help._

"_Katara!" Aang screamed for a second. He felt like he was about to fail at the Avatar State again when, in a blast of strength, Aang moved forward toward the giant spirit, blocking out Katara's voice. Eventually Aang found himself at the end of the bridge with know idea what to do. The avatar spirit still seemed no farther than it was when he started._

"_Jump," a voice whispered, echoing through the whole area. In a leap of faith, Aang jumped off of the bridge and into the air, to find that he was floating. He moved towards the Avatar Spirit, which was rapidly approaching. When Aang touched the Avatar Spirit, he felt his own self merge with the spirit, and his essence mix with the spirit's._

When Aang opened his eyes, he found himself floating, as he was in the dream. The arrow on his head was glowing, as were his eyes. He was in the Avatar State. Slowly, he lowered to the ground, and his arrow and eyes turned back to normal. He was back at Air Temple. He noticed that Sokka was gone.

"Katara's in trouble," Aang stated.

"Well what are you waiting for, go help her!" demanded Pathik, grinning at Aang. Aang grinned back, and sprinted out into the hallway. There he saw Sokka, Ty Lee, Smellerbee, and Longshot fighting off Kai, while Rong held Katara captive.

"Glad you could make it," said Sokka, who was dodging attacks by Kai. He no longer was encased in ice, meaning that his vision quest must be finished. "Mind giving us a hand?"

"I'd be glad to," said Aang. Taking his staff in hand, Aang dashed over to Katara, dodging Kai's throwing stars. When he made it to Katara, he was greeted by fire blasts from Rong, which were reflected with some of his own.

"So, it's you," Aang taunted. "Where's that cute little arrow. Did the crayon wash off in the shower?"

"It was enough to fool you, wasn't it?" retorted Rong. The two kept at the fighting until eventually, Aang managed to send an air blast at Rong's feet, causing him to fall to the ground. As he toppled backwards, Rong found himself falling into the chasm.

"She's at Mt. Kuma!" Rong shouted to Kai, clinging desperately to the side. Aang ran over to offer his hand, but Kai pushed him out of the way to save him himself. But it was too late. The tiny piece of rock that Rong was clinging to broke off, sending Rong into the void. He was gone.

"That's my brother!" Kai roared. "I'll get you for this!" The Avatar Team prepared for another fight, but surprisingly, Kai darted out through the lotus-shaped porthole and out of the palace. When the whole rush of adrenaline had died down, the eight of them gathered over the chasm.

"What do you think happened to him?" Smellerbee asked. Everyone shrugged. Suddenly, Aang pulled on Katara's arm and beckoned for her to follow him.

"Come on!" He said, pulling her into the Grand Hall and up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" asked Katara, but Aang didn't answer. Soon the reached the Eastern Air Temple. "What are you-" Katara was interrupted when Aang put his lips on hers and pulled her into the most wondrous kiss they had ever had. "But wait what about-" Katara became silent again as the arrow and Aang's head began to glow, and the two of them began to rise into the air. A huge smile spreading across Katara's face, she threw her arms around Aang's neck and kissed him once again.

"I love you Katara," said Aang, holding Katara close to him, the two f them still hovering in the air.

"I love you too Aang." Katara responded, giving him one more quick kiss before the two of them reached the ground. As Katara's feet reached the ground, she separated from Aang's arms, happier than she had ever been before. "Happy 13th birthday," she said. "Now I think you have a new birthday tradition."

Coincidentally, while Katara and Aang were kissing upstairs, Sokka and Ty Lee were having a special moment as well. Finally able to get near her, Sokka ran over to Ty Lee and gave her the first kiss they had both been waiting for ever since their date last week. Ty Lee was the only thing that mattered to him, with Ty Lee feeling the same way about Sokka. As the two of them parted, Ty Lee cried tears of joy, knowing that Sokka would never hurt her again.

* * *

"The Fire Lady is located at the top of Mount Kuma, your majesty," Kai said into a microphone.

"Very good," Azula replied in her snake-like voice. "By sunset tomorrow, the traitor will be captured and tortured, and the Order of the White Lotus, our last obstacle, will be annihilated."


End file.
